Convince Me
by RCap
Summary: AU/AH: Chicago, 1925. Rose works as a burlesque dancer in her father's club, The Royal Court, which has been helping smuggle illegal alcohol through the streets of Chicago during Prohibition. Dimitri is a high ranking official in the Bratva that is taking control over importation through the club and he immediately becomes infatuated with Rose. But what will become of them? OOC
1. An Introduction

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hello Readers and welcome to my new story!_

 _'Convince Me' is set in Chicago during 1925 and the time of Prohibition. The story will alternate from Rose's POV to Dimitri's._

 _Rose Hathaway is a talented burlesque dancer for a club named 'The Royal Court' that her father owns. Abe Mazur's business took a severe hit on January 17, 1920, when the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors was made illegal._

 _However, when Abe is approached by the Russian Bratva to use his club to smuggle in and distribute illegal liquors, he couldn't pass up the offer to help keep his club and family afloat._

 _Five years into Prohibition, Dimitri Belikov is moved from Russia to the streets of Chicago to oversee operations at the Bratva's most profitable venue. During his first visit to meet Abe Mazur, he becomes infatuated with his daughter and lead dancer, Rose._

 _This story is rated M for language, drug/alcohol references, and sex scenes. I've attempted to keep the character as much in character as possible, but I also wanted to incorporate themes and terminology that were considered normal for the time period._

 _So please continue reading with caution._

 ** _Note_** _:_ _'Miss Mazur' is still my main priority and I will continue to update the story once a week. Therefore, until I have finished 'Miss Mazur', this new story will be updated as often as I can without interrupting the flow of 'Miss Mazur'._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _All characters belong to Richelle Mead. I own only the plot, nothing else._

 _-RCap_

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

I came to the club before opening purposely. I loved hearing our musicians tuning their instruments and improvising new chords while on the stage. The music would surge through me while I was on stage, purging me any unpleasant thoughts and replacing them with a feeling of bliss. I lived for that feeling.

The club was relatively large for an illegal bar during Prohibition. My father had purchased it when we moved over from Istanbul several years ago, relishing in the American's love for alcohol and making almost too much money off them drinking away their sorrows. He, however, needed a new plan when the new law came into effect, accepting the Russian Bratva's proposal to use the club as a front for transporting alcohol through Chicago.

I watched as my father talked with two unfamiliar faces in one of the corner booths. His normally hard features seeming intrigued by their words, whatever they were talking about seemed to please both my father and the unfamiliar men. I had been planning to see my father once I had arrived but decided not to interrupt the meeting.

I removed my hat and pale pink jacket revealing my navy dress and guided myself around assorted tables towards the bar at the far end. I caught sight of my favourite barman, Adrian. I perched on one of the stools and placed my right knee on my left and leaned forward, letting my nails tap on the hardwood. He was facing away from me, his attention on the stock stored behind him. I could hear him counting to himself and couldn't help but smile to myself.

Adrian Ivashkov was a good man, a little kooky if you ask me but he ensured that everything ran smoothly for my father. He was quite the sheik. He gained a decent amount of female attention and he dished it back out. He was nice and tall with a decent build and a pair of the most gorgeous deep green eyes you would ever find.

"Watcha counting Ivashkov?" I asked him in a singsong voice, my risen leg instinctively moving with the sounds of the band behind me. I removed a cigarette from my deck and tapped the butt on the wood before bringing it to my lips. I didn't light it, purely because I knew how much Adrian loved lighting a woman's cigarette. I held it with my teeth, allowing a small dab of my red lipstick to stain the paper.

I heard Adrian chuckle before turning to face me, "As always sweetheart, giggle water" he winked before scrawling a number on the pad in front of him. Once written down, he reached into his back pocket and produced a lighter.

"I didn't know the old man had you counting stock again, I thought you only did that once a month?" I asked once the cigarette was lit and I had taken a drag.

Once a month, my father had Adrian count our stocks so that we could give the numbers to Daniel who was in charge of our underground business. Something must have happened for him to be counting for the second time this month. I was curious as to if it coincided with the unfamiliar men my father was meeting with in the corner of the club.

"We have new members that will be taking over from Daniel, they have brought in some guys from Russia" Adrian smiled cunningly as he nodded to the booth behind me, "They are the replacements" his green eyes practically twinkling at the news. I don't know why he was so happy about it, Daniel was good at his job, and he was good fun to be around as well.

I turned my head to have a quick look at the men again and found my father to be escorting them over towards us. I watched as they came closer, not letting my eyes stray from them. While I was distracted, Adrian stole my newly lit cigarette from my fingers and took a deep drag before walking further down the bar. I rolled my eyes and gave my full attention to the men coming my way.

"Rosemarie" my father crooned, "Meet Ivan Zeklos and Dimitri Belikov" he smiled, gesturing beside him. I had to admit that the men stunned me; they were extremely pleasing to the eye.

I was silent as I took in their features. Both shared similar features like their well-muscled bodies and sculpted faces but they were complete opposites in everything else. Ivan had short but ruffled blonde hair and fairer skin while the one named Dimitri was much more my type. His chin-length hair was a dark shade of brown that matched his eyes, the light tan on his skin only a few shades lighter than my own colour.

Dimitri had definitely caught my attention, his bottomless brown eyes smoldered as I watched them rake over my body. I felt like shivering under his gaze.

I outstretched my right hand delicately and Ivan immediately captured it, I smiled winningly at him as he brought my knuckles to his lips where he pressed a soft kiss to them, "Rosemarie. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman" he smiled, his Russian accent thick as he spoke in English.

I smiled as he released my hand and Dimitri recaptured it this time, I caught the look that he passed onto Ivan though, a look of possession. I had to say that it was hot. I was used to men fighting over me, it's what happened when you were a dancer, but having two high standing members of the Russian Bratva trying to claim possession over you was exciting and created a tingle through me. He brought my hand to his mouth, much like Ivan had, however when his lips touched my skin it was like tiny shocks pulsating through me.

"Roza" he purred, his eyes not leaving mine this time. I think my breathing hitched at the sound of his voice and my newly appointed nickname. I was used to nicknames like 'baby' and 'sweetheart' but hearing my name in another language was intoxicating.

We stayed like that for several seconds before my father cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to himself, "Rosemarie is my only child, she is also the lead dancer at this establishment"

This seemed to catch Dimitri interest, his eyes returning to look at me and his lips turned up into a sly smile. I couldn't help but return the smile with my own little taunt, "I trust you will be by later tonight then?"

"I wouldn't dare miss it" he responded.

The club's serenity was shattered when the main doors opened loudly followed by the high-pitched sounds of laughter. A group of five women entered, removing their hats and walking towards the doors that lead backstage. The women were my fellow dancers and they had arrived for a pre-show practice.

The dancers were all very similar; tall and skinny with pale skin. It's what made me such a standout on stage. My middle-eastern features drawing a lot of attention being surround by women who were so pale. They all stopped in a group to look over at the bar where I was sitting, Lissa flashing me a cheeky smile and even winked at me. I was confused as to what elicited that reaction until I realized Dimitri still had my hand in his grasp.

"If you would excuse me, gentlemen," I purred as Dimitri assisted me down from the bar stool, "I will be seeing you later in the evening". I sauntered off towards the waiting dancers, adding a bit of extra swing into my hips as I could feel Dimitri's eyes burning holes in my back. I couldn't stop myself from relishing in the attention he was giving me though.

When I reached the group, my blonde haired best friend immediately intertwined her arm with mine and tugged me through the doors leading backstage. Most of the girls giggled as we walked, occasionally stealing glances towards the Russians who were now talking with Adrian.

We had a large array of dancers but the six that were assembled now were the clubs most popular. Lissa and her sister Jill were the epitomes of goddesses with their flawless skin and blonde hair, albeit Jill's hair was more on the brown side, however, their shared jade green coloured eyes were a clear indication of family and were entrancing. Sydney added to the long list of blondes that my father employed, she could have passed as another sister to Lissa except for her brown eyes, which seemed to have a glint of gold in them.

Avery and Natalie finished the group off, adding to the pale count but both of them had dark brown hair, which matched closer to mine and created a balance between us all.

The backstage area never changed, it was a room that was filled with mirrors and clothing racks that held our costumes. The lighting was dark and the smell of tobacco was thick in the air.

Lissa and I maneuvered around the different dressing tables until we reached our own; I hung my coat behind the chair and unbound my long hair from its tight confines. A majority of the dancers had cut their hair into shorter styles, however, I struggled to follow suit. I just couldn't bring myself to cut my long wavy locks; it had taken several years of care to maintain it at this length.

"So, who are the gentlemen by the bar?" Lissa asked from beside me, her green eyes twinkling much like Adrian's had in the reflection of her mirror.

I sat down in my chair and began to fix my makeup for practice, "They are the new supervisors for our importing and exporting division" I smiled, trying to use the most sophisticated wording possible. I didn't like referring it to 'rum-running', which it technically was, but I preferred it to sound more professional.

"I see," she chuckled, "They both seemed quite taken with you" this time she turned in her chair to look at me and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.

"Did they?" I toyed, "I hadn't noticed" I fixed the red tint on my lips and went back to fiddling with my hair, arranging it so it wouldn't get in my way during practice.

Lissa eyed me curiously, her head cocking to one side and her eyes narrowed slightly, "Are they coming by tonight?" she asked.

I knew that she already knew what my answer would be; I had been playing with my hair, which I rarely did, and it showed that I was nervous or excited about something.

"They did say they would stop by" I mumbled as she sat back in her chair and clapped her hands together excitedly.

I had to admit that I was excited as well for tonight. I was excited to see Dimitri and for him to see me in my element. I knew that I could dance well and that I elicited a response from the crowd and I was interested to see if I could do the same to him.

Lissa and I stripped down to our undergarments and changed into our practice costumes, a simple black one-piece corset with black stockings. It was also somewhat of a uniform we wore when we weren't on stage. If we were going to wander on the floor between acts, we were to be dressed in something like this, not our extravagant costumes.

Once all six of us girls were assembled on stage, Tasha our choreographer emerged and began checking out stances and moves. Ensuring that our feet were positioned correctly, and our bodies moved with the music and not against it.

Tasha was an ex-dancer herself from my father's club. She was a very good dancer at that, however, her face was horribly scarred during a fight that erupted involving her nephew during the first year of Prohibition. The scarring meant that Tasha was not welcome on the main stage, it was a massive hit to her as well as all of us but unfortunately, people came to watch beautiful women dance and Tasha didn't fit in that category by their standards anymore.

Father didn't want her to leave the club though, she was apart of the family here, so he asked her to stay on as a choreographer as well as offering her nephew Christian a job behind the bar with Adrian.

So, for the past four years, Tasha has created and taught us several different dances and perfected our techniques. She was a strict teacher but she was extremely good at her job.

Once practice was over, we retired backstage and lounged around waiting for nightfall. Adrian and Christian came backstage, as they always did before opening, with a tray of moonshine and cigarettes.

We all took a glass each which was filled only with half a shot. We couldn't afford to be intoxicated on stage, but the moonshine gave us a nice edge along with the nicotine in the cigarettes. Adrian went around to all the ladies lighting up the butts and we all sat around laughing and sipping on our drinks.

Even though we were all considered criminals working in a speakeasy, we were a big family. We all looked out for one another and covered for each other if necessary. A lot of the women that danced here were saved off the streets or from families that were hit harder by the effects of Prohibition or the war. They had been unable to keep their heads above water like my father had done, so they were brought in and taken care of.

We were all sisters even if we weren't related. Most of us roomed together in apartments and we all shared our lives with one another. We all got along so well that there was never any beef inside the club's walls.

* * *

When night came and we began hearing the club fill up behind the curtains, Adrian and Christian returned to their bar and began the night off while us dancers got changed into our first costumes for the night.

The roaring sounds of men's laughter came close to overpowering the jazz from the band. We were used to having a full house almost every night. We were a prime establishment that a lot of men used for date locations and even business meetings.

Once we were all dressed up in our feathers and sequins, we lined up according to our positions and waited for the curtain to rise.

Waiting for the first curtain to rise was when I was most excited. Waiting for that first look was almost torture, both for the patrons and us dancers. We were excited to see what the crowd was like for us tonight and they were begging to see us, and like always we were greeted with whistles and chants from the crowd once displayed to them.

I looked out into the crowd and saw him immediately.

He was sitting at one of the larger tables, Ivan on his right and the other four seats were occupied by other members of the Bratva that we had seen here previously. His lips were curled into a sly smile and his hair had been tied at the nape of his neck. I watched his eyes travel the length of my body again as he attempted to keep his composure.

Ivan leaned closer to Dimitri and seemed to say something to him that wiped the smile off Dimitri's face, his head snapped towards Ivan and he glared at him too which Ivan only laughed.

As we danced the night away, Dimitri didn't stray his gaze from me. If I was on stage, he didn't look anywhere but at _me_. He conversed with the men at his table but didn't look at them when they spoke, only responded when spoken to.

After several hours of dancing, I was relieved that I only had the final performance left, leaving a couple of hours to myself. I changed out of the flashy costume and into my black corset. Swiping the deck of cigarettes out of my draw, I walked out into the seating theatre and headed to the bar to see my father. I strolled towards where he was seated, stopping a couple of times to converse with regulars that I had learned the names of.

When I made it to the bar, Adrian immediately placed a glass in front of me and lit my cigarette. My father lifted his head up from the club's books in front of him to acknowledge me.

" _Kizim,_ wonderful show so far. You are entrancing the Russians" he laughed as he gestured to the table that had held my attention all night.

"So it may seem" I smiled back, taking a drag of the cigarette. I held in the smoke for a couple of seconds before blowing it away from us. I took in my surroundings and let my eyes wander over the crowd, finding Dimitri coming towards us. I think my heart actually skipped a beat as the 6'7 Russian approached me. The smoke coming from the cigarette that was between his fingers trailed behind him, adding to the thick smokiness of the room.

"Roza" he purred once he reached me, taking my hand again he placed a delicate kiss on my knuckles, "You are a sight I must say"

"I take that as you are enjoying the show, Mr. Belikov?" I purred back, relaxing my hand in his grip which allowed him to brush his thumb over my fingers.

"Yes, I can see why this establishment brings in the most business" he broke his gaze from me and turned to my father, "You have done an impressive job, Mr. Mazur"

"Much appreciated Belikov, it's always good to hear that we are keeping all parties involved ahead"

As my father and Dimitri discussed further business I caught sight of Christian behind the bar and whistled for his attention, his head snapped up at the sound and immediately found me leaning over the bar.

"Hey Sparky, you still stuck on Lissa?" I taunted from the other side of the bar, he didn't answer my question, he only hung his head and chuckled to himself.

Christian wasn't the kind of guy who my father normally employed. He was a tad antisocial and had a knack with a flame. His black hair and ice blue eyes made him one of the favorites among the dancers, but his eyes had always been set on Lissa. However, it didn't matter how many times I told him she was also interested in him, he didn't make any moves to pursue her. It was infuriating really; the kid is clueless.

I was now perched up on my knees on the stool laughing along with him as we battled back and forth with friendly slurs and insults. It was good that we had a friendship like that, we both didn't take life too seriously. I could see out of the corner of my eye one of the not so friendly regulars making a beeline for me, maneuvering through the people standing but stumbling as he went, too drunk to walk properly. I cringed just at the thought of him coming near me, hoping that he would bypass me, but he never does.

"Rosie" he slurred as he came up behind me. I turned in my stool to face him,

"Good evening Ralf" I forced out, my eyes quickly darted to Dimitri's who was now very interested Ralf coming up for a chat. He was still talking to my father, but his attention was entirely on Ralf now, and he did not look happy.

"Rosie, why don't you join us for a drink?"

The chance of me joining Ralf and his table for drinks was slim to none, I had no interest in being drooled on or manhandled. I was used to dewdroppers fighting for my attention, but I wasn't planning to give them the time of day.

"Sorry Ralf, I'm needed back on stage soon" a bit of a lie I'll admit, but normally it works.

This time it didn't however, Ralf reached out and gripped my upper arm with amazing strength for someone who was so drunk. He came in close to my face so I could smell the amount of hooch on his breath. It was disgusting at the least. My cigarette dropped to the floor as a reaction from him grabbing my arm, damn it hurt.

He was soon pulled off me and pushed from the bar, my saviors being six members of the Bratva, they all stood in front of me in the form of a line, Dimitri with his arm slightly towards me in a protective gesture.

"Go chase yourself!" my father boomed from his chair, "The dancers or my daughter are _not_ to be touched. You hear me son?"

I watched as Ralf sized up the six Russians standing before him, almost like he was considering taking them on. He looked towards my father who had a cruel look on his face; this wouldn't go down well if he chose to stay.

He eventually scowled and stumbled off into the crowd, no one moved through. Dimitri flicked his head in the direction Ralf walked in and two of the members of the line followed him. It was often that the dancers would be grabbed as such, but we had to rely on the men that we worked with to control them. If we took matters into our own hands, it could turn out worse for us.

We didn't need coppers coming down on us for a dancer assaulting a patron no matter how much they deserved it. It was too risky with the rum-running. So, we let either the Russian's stationed in the club or even Christian and Adrian to deal with them.

"How do we keep letting him in here?" I spat to my father as I rubbed the spot where Ralf had latched onto me. My father merely shrugged and went back to his books.

I turned to Dimitri and placed a tentative hand on his bicep, giving it a soft squeeze before speaking, "Thank you for that" I smiled up at him before reaching for my deck on the bar.

"Anytime _milaya_ " he answered softly, placing his own hand on top of mine. It felt so warm to have him touch me like that. It was comforting at the same time as it was like lighting a fire within me. I didn't know what _milaya_ meant, but I damn sure liked the sound of it.

He wrapped one of his arms around my waist and lifted me off the stool and placed me back on the ground, I noticed my father looking briefly up from his book to take a peek at us before muttering something to himself.

"Come backstage when the final dance is over, I think you should all meet the other dancers" I smiled before looking at the other Russians behind Dimitri. They all nodded, and I strolled back towards the stage, daring a glance behind me to see Dimitri with a smile on his face and Ivan nudging his shoulder playfully.

The smile on his face was different than the other ones he had given me. He had given me sly and attractive smiles, ones that made me go gooey inside, this one was a genuinely happy smile and it made me unconsciously smile just as big.

* * *

Dimitri was sitting at my dressing table reading a book when we all began retiring backstage. I chuckled to myself before sneaking up behind him. Placing my hands on his wide shoulders I looked at him through the reflection and let my lips curl into a sweet smile. He looked up from his book and returned my smile.

The darkness of the area around us created a nice shadow for our figures in the reflection, the only lighting the hanging lights that were placed randomly throughout the room.

As I let my eyes wash over his reflection I couldn't help but linger on lips as well as the bulge of his muscles under the pale blue fabric of his dress shirt.

I so badly wanted to see what lied behind the confines of his clothing. You could see he was a well-muscled man and it was teasing me. Was it wrong of me to be having extremely explicit thoughts about a man I had only just met, as well as one who was involved in the Bratva?

I didn't care honestly.

I walked around the chair and let my hand trail across his shoulders and behind his neck until I was standing in front of him. I was curious as to why he was so infatuated with me. He had taken a liking to me almost instantaneously and hadn't even looked at any of the other dancers. It wasn't like the Bratva to take their pickings from my father's club; they seemed to branch out to get their women.

"I'm curious Dimitri" I began in a low voice, "Why is that you have taken such a liking to me?"

His smile didn't falter when he answered, "Well Roza, I just can't seem to take my eyes off you. Something radiates from you that just draws me closer and closer. I'm not sure if it's your unmistaken beauty or the way you handle yourself. I may just be curious as to what kind of woman you are" his words were intoxicating, his accent making me weak at the knees.

I reached around and grabbed the flimsy dressing gown, using it to cover myself before turning back to Dimitri. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that he had referred to me as beautiful or his accent that was causing my reaction. I was trying really hard to not throw myself at him.

"So you think I'm beautiful?" I asked softly.

He smiled up at me and snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me down to him so that I was sitting on his lap, his face mere inches from my own, "So beautiful it hurts".

My tongue darted out and wet my bottom lip before my teeth captured it; I looked from his eyes down to his lips as both of us slowly began closing the distance between us.

"Banks closed Belikov" a voice interrupted.

I groaned and my head fell backward in frustration. I looked back up to see Pavel, my father's best friend and business partner leaning up against the doorframe. Such a buzz kill.

"Only the banker can close the bank Pavel," I grumbled as I got off Dimitri's lap, he followed shortly after, standing slightly behind me.

"I'm not sure Abe would be very pleased with you chasing his daughter Belikov" Pavel grunted, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

Pavel was the same age as my father, he was much taller than him but they shared the same colour hair and skin colour. They could probably pass off each other as brothers if they wanted to.

"My father doesn't have a say in matters this personal Pavel, you know that," I said strongly, crossing my own arms in front of my body.

"We'll see" he chuckled before turning away. As he walked out, the dancers began strolling in followed by the other members of Dimitri's table.

We all changed into our normal attire and returned to the main area on the club, which was now empty and closed off. We push a few tables together and we all sat around.

Adrian and Christian joined us, placing a few bottles of Russian Standard Vodka on the table, courtesy of the Russians, along with enough glasses to be used between all of us.

Within a couple of hours, the entire contents of all four bottles were completely drunk dry. Everyone was a drunken mess. We were all stumbling over our words and shouting at each other. The laughter was deafening and the cloud of cigarette smoke that surrounded us was thick and menacing. I had ended up in Dimitri lap again as he laughed loudly, his words switching from English to Russian too often to keep track of, the mix of the languages causing an even bigger uproar of laughter.

Despite the drunken festivities, Dimitri continued to draw soft and controlled circles on my lower back. He never stopped no matter how hard he was laughing.

With me sitting on his lap, we were at the same level and I was able to look him directly in the eyes. As I stared drunkenly into his bottomless brown eyes, he tightened his hold on me and pressed a kiss to where my jaw and ear connected. He pulled back and continued his conversation with Ivan, his hold not wavering.

I wasn't sure what this was, but I was definitely interested as to where it was going.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Hi All,_

 _There you have chapter one for Convince Me! I was really excited when I got the idea for this story and I hope this chapter has got you interested!_

 _I'd love to hear your thoughts on it xx_

 _\- RCap_


	2. An Occurrence

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Thank you guys so much for your kind reviews for my first chapter! I wasn't expecting so many people to review/favourite/follow. Thank you so so much for your support xx_

 _Without further delay, chapter two!_

 _\- RCap_

* * *

 ** _Dimitri._**

Her laugh was unfettered. I had never seen a woman laugh so boldly or so loudly in my life. She was a pillar of strength. She was as bold and delicate as her name suggested.

She was like a flame that could not be controlled. I had no desire to control the woman sitting on my lap anyway, if only I wanted to fan that fire more and bring it to her surface.

When I had first seen her sitting by the bar talking with the bartender, I had been taken back by her beauty, almost stopped dead in my tracks if you will. She was a true middle-eastern princess. Dark brown hair that I knew if it had been unbound, would be long and thick; her brown eyes causing every single thought I had to disappear in an instant, leaving my mind blank.

I had stared at the blood red curtains hanging in front of me impatiently, waiting for them to reveal Roza to me. I tried extremely hard to contain myself when those curtains were eventually drawn up. My pants becoming considerably tighter as I watched her dance in a gold sequined corset and heels with height I had never seen before. How could any woman walk let alone dance in those? She pulled it off effortlessly though.

My entire party was entranced by not only her but by the other dancers. They all moved in synchronicity that was to be marveled at. Not one move was out of time with the other women.

Both Ivan and I noticed his younger brother Jesse was taking a daring interest to Roza, and of course Ivan felt that he needed to question my property. I knew that Roza wasn't mine… _yet_. I was intent on it being an eventuality. I shot a look to Ivan which made his entire body roll with laughter, he was simply taunting me.

Her body could bring me to my knees; I would spend all my time worshipping every inch of her.

I had seen how much she wanted to take matters into her own hands when she had been grabbed by a drunken patron, but she knew that she couldn't. I had seen the fire that sparked in her eyes when his hand had contacted with her skin; the same fire had been lit inside of me upon seeing someone unworthy of touching her forcing that contact. It infuriated me.

He wouldn't be bothering her anymore; I was sure that we wouldn't be seeing him by the club in the future.

I might have been able to prepare for whatever it was that I was feeling for Roza if I had been looking out for it. Truth be told, I hadn't come to America for my own vices. I went where the Brotherhood told me to go and I had to look out for my mother and sisters back home. Financial stability for my family was the only reason I had gotten involved with this life.

I hadn't realized that in my drunken state I kept switching languages. My native tongue would just come out in the middle of the conversation; the only people understanding me were my brothers.

I watched as she drank the Russian vodka with ease, ignoring the burn it would have created and simply going for another. She could hold her liquor that was for sure.

* * *

I had carried her to bed that night. She had fallen asleep in my arms at the table during the early hours of the morning; I didn't want to leave her here at the club. So when two of the blonde dancers said they were heading back to their apartment that they shared with Rose, I escorted them home with Roza in my arms.

I had planned only to place Roza in her bed and head back to my own residence, but that clearly hadn't happened when I woke up on an unfamiliar and uncomfortable small couch.

" _What the fuck"_ I muttered to myself in Russian as I rubbed the back of my neck.

I was stretched out on a couch, my legs hanging over the armrest on the other side and my neck had a painful twinge in it. I looked around the small apartment, taking in the assortment of female coats and hats thrown around the place. I think it was safe to assume this was Roza's residence that she shared with a couple of her fellow dancers.

The smell of coffee alerted me that someone else was in the room with me. I sat up stiffly and spun my head around to the source of the smell.

A small blonde woman with brilliant green eyes stood leaning up against a large window. Morning sun beamed though the glass, temporarily blinding me. I squinted and rubbed my eyes as black spots appeared in my vision.

"Good morning" the blond-haired girl giggled before taking a sip of the liquid that was in the mug in her hands, "Want a cup?"

"Please, miss…?" I trailed off, waiting for her to fill in the gap.

"Dragomir" she smiled before turning into what looked to be their kitchen, "I'm Lissa"

As she said her name, it seemed to awaken something in me and I was able to remember a lot more of last night than I had when I just woke up.

Lissa and Sydney. The girls that lived here with Roza. They were the women I had followed back to their home. The dancers.

Lissa handed over a cup, the strong smell of coffee waking me up further and helping me remember more from last night.

"I slept here?" I questioned Lissa who has resumed her place by against the window.

"I assume so. You took Rose into her room and when I came out this morning you were asleep on the couch" she shrugged, bring the mug to her lips again.

Dragomir. Where had I heard that name before? And then it came to me, "Dragomir Distilleries" I muttered out-loud.

I heard Lissa choking on her coffee, spluttering a bit before composing herself, "Been a while since I heard that name" she mumbled under her breath.

Dragomir Distilleries had been an extremely large and profitable company that mass-produced liquor for America. It had also been one of the companies that had been hurt more so than others when Prohibition had been brought it. The business had gone under and left the entire family bankrupt.

Lissa must have been short for Vasilisa; heir to the Dragomir fortune after her brother Andre had been killed during the war. It was a sad story of misfortune, they were an honest family making a living and it had ended with them on the streets.

"Rose's father took me in" she mumbled, her words throwing me further into my thoughts.

Daniel Volkov, the man who we had resumed operations over had informed me of Ibrahim Mazur's generosity and his willingness to help those that didn't come out as well as he had during not only Prohibition but also after the war had ended seven years ago.

He had told me that many of the dancers at the club had been rescued from abusive families and off the streets and gave them a second chance. It was selfless of him and inspiring.

At the brotherhood, we were all protective of our own. We protected our women and our children and our fellow brothers at all costs. We got our tattoos for our leaderships, bravery and even our troubles. They were badges of honor even if they didn't seem like it at the time of receiving them.

I had always hated the idea of tattooing my skin, even more so when it would be an inexperienced fellow prisoner doing the deed. I had a couple of tattoos that meant more to me than I let on.

When a second blonde emerged from her room, I figured it was a good time for me to head off. She gave me a confused look when she noticed me on the couch, her light brown eyes showing curiosity as to why a massive Russian was on her couch, I didn't blame her, I was curious as to how I managed it as well.

I bid them both farewell and thanked Lissa for the coffee before heading out of their building. Checking my watch, it told me it was still early in the morning, but late enough that the streets would be bustling with people and traffic. I wrapped my coat tight around myself and raked my fingers through my hair, attempting to smooth it down and get some of the knots out, before joining the foot traffic and heading home.

* * *

"Dimka?" Ivan yelled from inside the apartment. I hadn't even closed the door behind me and he was already yelling at me.

"Yeah, it's me" I mumbled,

"Where the fuck have you been?" he laughed as he came around the corner and into the main living area.

"Roza's"

His eyes flashed with mischief and I had a few guesses about what would come out of his mouth, but quite frankly I didn't want to hear whatever crude remark he had.

I sighed as I sat down on to the much larger couch than I'd slept on and massaged the back of my neck.

"She kept you up all night huh?" he laughed as he took the spot next to me,

"I slept on her couch" I muttered, this seemed to have shut him up but only because he seemed confused.

"Why the couch?"

I shrugged, "Cause that's where I passed out"

The room was deadly silent for a couple of seconds until Ivan's laugh erupted and filled every single space we had, "So you didn't get any?" he asked between laughs

"I wasn't trying to get in her pants Ivan, she was passed out for fucks sake. I wanted her home safe" I growled at him, his laughs died down and he wiped what seemed to be a tear from his eye before commenting,

"Hey, I'm not questioning your morals Dimka, I just can't believe you slept on a couch. The great Dimitri Belikov sleeping on a couch" he started laughing again, "What a sight that would have been"

I shoved him as I got myself up off the couch and made myself some coffee. I had a feeling today would be a long day.

"You headin' to the club later to see her?"

I sighed pouring the liquid, "Yeah but not to see her. Volkov organized a shipment for tonight so I've got some stuff to organize before then"

We both sat on the couch sipping our coffees when our other roommate emerged from his room. Anton. He looked worse than the girls did this morning.

He trudged towards the kitchen rubbing the back of his head, however, Ivan and I could contain our laughter.

"Fuck off" he yelled from the kitchen and it only spurred us into further hysterics.

Once we had calmed down he proceeded to tell us about his "raven-haired beauty" that he had been bedding for the last few months from the club. Hearing about his sex life was not what I wanted to do first thing in the morning, so I quickly left them in the lounge room and retreated to my own room, promptly collapsing onto my bed and falling asleep.

* * *

It was about midday when I arrived at the club. I walked in expecting it to be empty but found a practice in full swing. However the girls on stage where not the ones I had met or the ones we had socialized with last night. I could see that these girls were exhausted as a raven-haired woman yelled out steps to them.

She turned to look at me and smiled widely. She must be the choreographer that Anton was talking about, Tasha I think her name was. I could see what he was talking about, she had some prominent features like her pale skin, raven hair, and ice blue eyes but it was marred with the scar that was on her cheek.

I turned and began walking towards one of the more secluded booths where I wouldn't be bothered. I set up the paperwork I had to rifle through and lit one of my cigarettes.

After a few long drags, I set it against the ashtray and began scouring the papers.

"Lissa said you slept on our couch"

I lifted my head from the paperwork in font of me to find Roza sitting in the seat opposite me. How hadn't I noticed her walk in? Had she been here since I got here?

"Apparently" I chuckled under my breath, "I don't recall falling asleep though"

She laughed this time as well, her head dipping down slightly and making some locks of her hair fall forward. I watched as her fingers captured the defiant locks and placed them back behind her ear.

 _God, I wanted to do that._

She peeked at me through her eyelashes, a soft smile appearing on her lips. The lips that I had been so close to touching last night before we had been interrupted. I had been so close to taking what would be mine eventually.

I shook my head to relieve me of those thoughts. There was a time for business and a time for pleasure, but right now I had work to focus on. I had bribes to organize for the shipment coming in tonight and I had to be ready but Roza's presence was distracting me. She wasn't even doing anything that was meant to be distracting either.

It was just her being in front of me, I couldn't focus on the work as my entire body was focused on her. I felt like all my senses were in overdrive around her. The sounds of the band playing and the girls practicing became muffled to me, all I could hear was the sound of her clicking her lighter to life and lighting one of her paper friends.

I could hear her breathing deeply and I watched her breasts heave as she did. I gulped as I felt my body begin to react in a way I didn't want it to, it couldn't do this to me here. I tried to focus on anything but the movements of her body.

"What are you doing here so early?" I blurted out. As I did everything came back into focus around me. The band was back in clarity and Roza's breathing was no longer the only thing I could hear.

"Tasha has a new routine for us to learn" she sighed wistfully, "So I'll be here all afternoon for practice and then back again later for dancing tonight"

"Why aren't you practicing with the others?"

"She prefers to split us up, half in the morning and the other half during the afternoon" she smiled, "and after the night we all had last night, I'm glad that we are the second group"

As she spoke the room filled with the sounds of female chatter and they all gravitated towards the backstage area. She butt out her cigarette and gave me a warm smile, "That's my cue"

I nodded once and watched her get up from the chair and sweep her hair into a bundle and secure it. Watching her hair get put out of sight like that was almost traumatic, she had beautiful hair and she must have adored it as much as I did as women were beginning to cut their hair extremely short. I watched her until she disappeared behind the doors and I cursed under my breath.

Looking around I noticed Pavel leaning up against the bar, arms crossed and a look of death on his face as he regarded me. He really didn't seem pleased with me pursuing Roza.

When the dancers switched over, all the work in front of me was forgotten and I was watching Roza learn new routines. She picked them up much faster than the other girls as well; it was like every single move was natural for her. I couldn't stop the smile that began appearing on my face as I watched her.

"Belikov, we all ready for the shipment tonight?" Abe appeared in my line of sight and looked down at the papers in front of me.

"All ready to go. I have the bribes ready for the two customs agents and we will be bringing everything back here during business hours".

My eyes darted back to Roza on stage and a smile formed in the corner of my mouth. I could see Abe follow my gaze and turn to see what I was looking at.

I hastily looked away and back down at my paperwork. I picked up the cigarette from the ashtray and relit it, puffing on the thing trying to avoid whatever Abe was going to comment on.

I felt him sit at the chair Roza had vacated and stare at me, "She's a good girl Belikov and as much as she is involved in this kind of life because of my own endeavors, being _romantically_ involved with a member of the Bratva could get her into much more trouble"

The comment sparked something in me. Anger.

"Are you trying to insinuate that I couldn't provide for or protect your daughter Mazur?" I asked in an accusing tone.

I knew for a fact that I would be able to financially provide for Roza as I do with my family back home as well as keeping her perfectly safe from the horrors that the Brotherhood did delve into. We didn't let out women get in harms way and they were rarely a source we used in the advancement of our own operations.

He kept a straight face and I could see him choosing his words carefully. He may have been a threatening man himself, but if he challenged one member of the Brotherhood, he challenged them all.

"I can assure you I'm not. I'm simply looking out for the wellbeing of my only child" and with that, he got up and left me at the booth alone.

I huffed and went back to the scratchings in front of me, praying that tonight would go by without a hitch.

* * *

The crates were stacked neatly in several piles. I gestured for Jesse and Anton to check over them, ensuring that nothing had gone missing from the stock count during transportation. Once they both nodded, I produced two brown envelopes from my duster's pocket and handed them over to the officers in front of me.

"Until next time" I grinned as my other men began walking to the crates, getting ready to load them up.

"Hey!" one of the officers yelled out, stopping everyone in their tracks. He held his envelope up in front of him, "Volkov had arranged for me to be getting a higher cut," he grunted.

"Change in management" I replied sternly. I didn't care what Volkov may have promised this man, it wasn't in the handover, therefore, it wasn't going to be honored.

"That's bullshit!" he yelled. This guy was starting to get on my nerves, "I want what he arranged for me, if not I'm turning all you fuckers in"

If he thought that would scare me, he was dead wrong. If only, it made me and my brothers laugh.

You challenge one, you challenge all.

I took a single step towards him and he took one back, already asserting my own dominance. Realizing his mistake, he didn't move when I took another step towards him.

I punched him. Probably harder than I should have but I wasn't having any of it. I didn't usually get my hands dirty during these things, but he was becoming a nuisance. He knew what his cut was, so asking for a bigger one was pushing his limits.

He pushed back, but I was ultimately stronger and faster than him. I laid into him again and again until my hand hurt. His partner looked horrified by the entire ordeal, but he also looked too frightened to move a muscle. He knew the beating was a warning for him as well.

Without any more exchange, we loaded the crates into the cars and spilt off in three different directions just in case. We all knew our final destination would be the alleyway behind the club.

Once we arrived, I got Ivan to drop me off in the street out front of the entrance to the club. I walked through the front entrance while the others unloaded around the back and found Roza on stage. She was dancing alongside Lissa, both of them dressed in extravagant corsets that were covered in white pearls. I caught her eye line and made my way backstage. I nodded to the doors before going in them, a silent request for her to join me once she was off stage.

I sat back on her chair in front of her mirror, I didn't know when she would be coming off stage but I was willing to wait. I inspected my bloody knuckles and flexed my hand. Pain shot through it but I knew that it wasn't anything serious.

I did a quick look around the dressing room and it looked like chaos. Dancers ran around in full costumes or even next to nothing. I caught the eye of that Tasha woman again and she shot me a seductive smile before returning to fixing a girl's hair.

I didn't like the looks that she was giving me. By what Anton had been saying, he had been pursuing her for a few weeks now and she had visited our residence multiple times with him. Why the sudden shift to me?

The band ceased and the roar of cheers coming from the stage filled every available space. Roza and Lissa returned backstage and a few other dancers made their way out.

She came straight over to me and immediately gazed at my injured hand. Her eyes went wide as she knelt by the chair and picked up my hand. Prodding the bruising skin with her fingers.

"Dimitri what happened?" she gasped, looking up to face me.

I just shrugged, not wanting to reveal that it was from pummeling an authority figure. But she saw straight through me and smirked.

"Someone's face too hard for your knuckles Comrade?"

I outright laughed this time, both at the nickname she had now bestowed upon me and the fact that she knew exactly what I had been up to.

She grabbed my good hand and led me to the chaotic dressing room and to the bathroom. The space wasn't what I would call cramped, but it was defiantly cozy in size. She grabbed one of the rags and wet it under the tap before dabbing my knuckles with it. I hissed slightly at the connection and she giggled softly.

The sound was like music to my ears and I chuckled under my own breath. I watched as she tended to my hand, how she delicately wiped away the blood and then covered the torn skin with a bandage.

"There, all done" she smiled up at me and rinsed out the now bloodied rag. After it had returned to its original colour she wrung it out and hung it over the basin.

"Thank you, Roza," I whispered as I took a step towards her, effectively closing the distance between us.

I had her pinned against the basin and myself, my now bandaged hand reaching out to touch her carefully styled hair as I leant in closer to her, I could see her breathing hitch as she also moved closer. Our lips were finally about to collide when the door behind me flung open.

"Rose I-oh sorry" a voice called out and I let out an involuntary growl.

Interrupted again.

"Fucking seriously?" Roza muttered under her breath as she prepared to face whoever was at the door. She leant back, her eyes softening as she acknowledged whoever was behind me, "Oh Tasha, hey"

I turned my body to face her and gave her a soft smile when inside I wanted to shove her back out of the door.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Tasha asked as she stood a little straighter and even went as far as pushing her chest out.

"I was just bandaging up Dimitri's hand, he hurt it" I tuned back to face Roza and smiled at her, her cheeks flushed slightly, and it was like Tasha wasn't even there anymore.

"Oh, you aren't trained for that Rose" Tasha scoffed, "I can do it for him"

I watched as Roza's entire body stiffened and her eyes were no longer soft towards Tasha. They hardened, and her head turned to face her. There was protectiveness in her eyes, she didn't want Tasha anywhere near me just as I wouldn't want anyone else to be touching Roza.

"I've already done it, Tash," she snapped. I didn't turn to see Tasha's reaction to Roza snapping at her as I was too entranced by beauty in front of me. I heard Tasha huff in defeat and once I had heard the door close, I was able to strike up the conversation again.

"That wasn't very nice Roza" I smirked, humor lacing my words. She noticed it and flashed me a smile back.

"I don't like to share," she practically purred.

This woman was killing me. She was openly claiming me as her own after only knowing each other for a mere few days. I was just as openly protective of her around others and at this point, she was already mine.

I let my eyes survey her features again, this time it was out of desire and I wasn't going to be able to keep it under control.

I bent down and crushed my mouth up against hers. She was startled at first but quickly melted into the kiss and allowed me entrance into her mouth. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she did the same with my neck, pulling me closer to her.

I knew from the second that our lips met that I was a goner. I was at this woman's mercy, her as my master and me the loyal servant.

I brought her closer to me and hoisted her off the ground, her lack of clothing making it easy for her to wrap her legs around my waist. I placed her so she sat on the basin and my grip around her waist tightened.

I ground my hips into her core and she moaned into my mouth, the moan only exciting me further.

I pulled away from her lips and began placing hard kisses on her neck, trailing up until I was beneath her ear. When she let out a much louder moan of approval I chose that as the spot to leave my mark. I bruised the soft skin easily with my mouth and assessed my work with a smirk before planting kisses on her revealed cleavage.

"I'm due back on stage" she managed to get out between gasps and moans.

As much as I didn't want to let her go and as much as I wanted to take her right here right now, I knew that her dancing was important to her and I didn't need Pavel or god forbid Abe walking in on us while looking for her.

I brushed my lips across her own and brought my bandaged hand up to cup her cheek.

"Until later Roza" I purred

I knew that Roza would be my downfall, I just didn't know how yet.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _First Romitri kiss for this story!_

 _Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and seeing into Dimitri's rougher mind._

 _Until next time xx_

 _-RCap_


	3. A Wolf

**_Author's Note:_**

 _This chapter is a tad shorter than my others, but I wanted to give you all an update._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _Themes of sexual assault are present towards the end of this chapter, please be aware when reading._

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

"I don't like to share" I smirked up at him.

I knew my words were dangerous to say. I was bluntly asserting him as mine, much like he had last night by securing me in his arms in front of everyone. But I didn't regret my words when I saw his eyes darken with desire.

Before I could react his lips collided with my own in a fiery passion. It was heaven.

I returned the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down to me as well as opening my lips and allowing him entry into my mouth. As his tongue caressed my own, he lifted me up so that I was seated on the basin.

He began placing kisses on my neck, making sure every possible inch of the soft skin had been touched before finding my weak spot. Once his lips touched the area under my ear a low moan escaped my lips, which only seemed to excite him further. I felt his kiss deepen in the area and his teeth caught the skin, there was no way I was getting out of this without a love bite. He leant back smirking at his mark and I returned it with a dreamy smile.

I could feel every single part of me awaken under his touch. Every nerve was alight and reacting to his fingers and the feel of his hips against mine. I couldn't help the extremely erotic thoughts that filtered through my mind, everything that I would want to do with and to him. Feeling him pressed up against me and at full attention was like torture, I knew I had to be back on stage shortly but I didn't want him to stop.

His dipped his head down and began kissing my exposed cleavage, which was a decent amount due to the busty corset. That was one other difference with our club than the others. We were a lot more scandalous than the other clubs, our outfits were more daring and exposed.

Thinking of my corset brought me out of my desire, I had a job to do and I was sure that if I wasn't on stage the old man would come looking for me and I doubt he would be happy to find me in this position.

"I'm due back on stage" I found myself saying in-between gasps.

He leaned back bringing his hand up to my cheek and kissed me softly once more, "Until later Roza".

I left the bathroom still feeling the tingle of his lips on my own, a smile creeping up on my face as I virtually ran back to my dresser, pulling the pearled corset off my body and replacing it with a red one that had black lace detailing. This was one of my more favourite outfits, the red going extremely well with the colour of my skin.

As I changed, I noticed other members of Dimitri's group walking through and heading for the basement, all of them carrying large wooden crates. They must have had another shipment; it explains Dimitri's hand perfectly. It wasn't often that those nights went _without_ trouble whether it was from outside or inside the payroll.

I had a feeling it was the same customs officer that had caused Daniel a bunch of trouble before he left. Attempting to blackmail the Bratva should have been his last chance, but surprisingly they let him stay on. It was no secret that those who were removed from the Bratva's payroll normally didn't live to see the next day. They couldn't risk loose ends.

We lived in a world where mobs ran our streets. Whether it be the Russians, Americans or even the Italians. It was a crazy time to be in Chicago but if you were in the right position of power, it was a damned good time.

I guess that would be the only reason I came out of this somewhat lucky. I got along with the men that 'worked' with my father. There had been a lot of officials that had come in to do Dimitri's job, but none quite like him.

Dimitri didn't seem as into the job as say Daniel had been. Daniel was extremely rough and, in my opinion, very trigger happy. Dimitri seemed more controlled, but like he was a stretched piece of rubber, with only a matter of time before he was pulled too tight and snapped.

Like always, as soon as the music began, every thought I had drained from my mind and I _became_ the routine. I had always loved dancing, even though the style was very different from the one back home. This style was freer and the attention I got was like fuel in a flame.

From my prominent position on the stage, I was easily able to see everyone that walked in and out. Some new faces that had walked in had piked my interest, but not necessarily in a good way.

Their faces were familiar, but a lot of underground figures came through those doors and it was easy to get the faces mixed up. Two of the faces stood out to me though. Eddie Castile and Mason Ashford, American Mob.

The two boys were lower in their ranks but could still cause trouble if they found out the club was working with the Bratva. It wasn't a secret to the different organizations that The Royal Court was a prominent rumrunner, they just didn't know it was the Russians behind it all. But with the immense number of Russian patrons we had here because of the connection, you would have thought that they could have figured it out. They never had though.

As much as I liked the two men, I had to be careful with what I said around them. I could get not only myself but everyone else around me into some serious trouble. They may be lower on the ranks, but that didn't mean they couldn't do some serious damage.

Their semi-large group split off, some heading to the bar and others through the crowd, trying to find a table. I watched as they shouldered some commoners out of a booth and proceeded to sit down. It was a Saturday night, so the club was at full capacity, there were no other seats in sight. Eddie and Mason caught my stare as they made their way to the bar, attempting to immerse themselves in a conversation with Adrian while their attention was still very clearly on me.

I was used to the attention I received as a dancer, but by the look on Dimitri's face, he wasn't very happy with me getting this much of it. He was sitting at a table with a large amount of Bratva members, but his attention was sideways at the young men.

Any of the men at that table could have easily identified who Eddie and Mason were from their tattoos. That's what unnerved me about this branch of the American Mob, they were too open and too happy to tell the world around them what they were involved in. I had been yet to see any of Dimitri's tattoos other than the ones that adorned his right hand. I knew there were more under his clothes, but he didn't seem eager to have them on display.

Despite everything though, Mason and Eddie were good friends, if you want to call them that. They had been coming to this club since we first moved here before prohibition began. With us all now being in our mid-twenties, Mason had even tried to _woo_ me. He'd attempted to win my heart and make me his bride, but I just couldn't see the sweet redhead being anything but a friend. At the time of his proposal, I was still new to the game that the mobs played and was extremely conflicted about getting romantically or physically involved with someone from that world and yet, two years after his attempt I was fully prepared to be handcuffed to a member of the Bratva, if I wasn't pretty much already.

What a backflip that had been huh.

I was keen to go see the boys at the bar, it had been a few weeks since their last appearance and I missed the repartee that we all had. I changed my corset while grabbing my deck and headed for where they had stationed themselves.

"Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time" I laughed as I approached them. Both men laughed, Eddie, choking slightly while taking a drag of his cigarette.

"This is my time Hathaway, I'm not here on business." Mason shot back effortlessly, a sly grin creeping onto his face.

"Oh yeah? Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked then" I purred back while placing a cigarette between my own lips. I'd reached the bar now and leaned over slightly so that Adrian could light the butt.

"It's always a good time to think about you naked" Eddie chimed in with a lazy smile, causing Adrian to burst out laughing.

"I'll second that Castile" Adrian proclaimed, still laughing

I rolled my eyes, "Are we all going to stand here thinking about me naked or are we going to get some drinking done?" I playfully pushed Mason aside, flashing him a brilliant smile.

There weren't anymore chairs left at the bar and there was no way I was sitting on one of their laps, so I pulled myself up onto the bar and perched there, crossing my leg over the other delicately.

"You've gotcha self a tail Rose" Mason murmured to me, nodding into the crowd. I followed his gaze and found myself looking into Dimitri's eyes. A smile began forming on my face upon seeing him, one that he began displaying as well. We really were becoming finely tuned with one another.

"That's not a tail Ashford, Rose is learning about new cultures" Adrian laughed, I spun my torso around and shot him a glare, I didn't need him riling up any men.

"Shut it Ivashkov," I said through gritted teeth.

Adrian on raised an eyebrow before laughing once again and nodding behind me. I spun around and found Dimitri walking towards us, that smile still plastered on his face.

I was silently thanking whatever entity was looking over this club for Dimitri's injured hand. The hand that been injured was that one that was tattooed, anyone who looked at those markings would know exactly where he was from without another glance.

"Roza" he smiled, placing a kiss on the spot where my jaw and ear connect, "Are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

His accent was so thick that I think I visually gulped. I nodded robotically and looked at the boys in front of me.

"This is Mason and Eddie," I said gesturing to them before looking at Dimitri, "This is Dimitri."

They all shook hands, despite Dimitri bandaged state and the tension ramped up to full steam. It was so thick I contemplated grabbing a knife just to see if I could cut through it.

"Never did I think I would see this day" Mason huffed, "Rose Hathaway, handcuffed"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "We aren't engaged, Mase"

"Not yet anyway" Adrian snorted before quickly making his escape further down the bar before I could react.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

There was someone sitting in my chair when I returned backstage before the final performance, and it wasn't Dimitri.

As I got closer I was able to recognize the figure, I didn't know his name but I knew he was Ivan's younger brother.

I could see based on his frame that he would be much taller than me, nothing compared to Dimitri but he would still have some serious height over me. His features were so similar to Ivan's, the blue eyes that were like the ocean and blond hair like sand. He was just as pale as Ivan but there was something about him that made my skin crawl.

It could have been the fact that he had his feet up on my dresser and his wolfish smirk that did anything but make my heart flutter, it made my entire body shudder. As he stared at me in the mirror, I felt like prey under his gaze. Like I was a meal that he was sizing up.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked trying to make my voice as polite as possible. I wasn't one normally to be polite to those who intimidated me, but this was different. I couldn't openly be rude to a member of the Bratva; it wouldn't end well for me at all, _even_ with Dimitri being in charge.

"It's Rose yeah?" the man asked me, his Russian accent slightly less obvious than Dimitri and Ivan's. He must have lived here longer than them, though he had never been introduced to me previously.

I nodded softly, "and you are?"

"Jesse Zeklos" he smiled which brought on another shudder.

He stood up from my chair and closed the distance between us, hovering slightly over me. I was suddenly feeling more naked than ever. I was currently covered with a gown but it seemed that no matter how tightly I tugged it more around my body, he could see through it.

"Is there something you were after Mr. Zeklos?" I asked softly, trying to hide the fear from my voice now that he loomed over me.

"I guess you could say that" his voiced trailed off and he reached up to cup my chin, his gaze trailing over my body.

I jerked out of his grasp and moved backwards, anywhere away from him. But he followed my steps, not leaving more that a few inches between us and when my back hit a wall behind me, a gasp escaped my lips.

He smiled at my reaction and closed the distance between us. His entire body was pressed up against mine; I had to suppress the want to vomit at the feeling. He crooked his head lower so that his lips were close to my own. I could smell the Vodka and cigarettes on his breath, the mix of scents releasing a foul odour towards me. It was interesting, as Dimitri had a similar smell of cigarette that was around him but it was sexier and mixed well with his natural scent of vanilla.

I shifted my head so that I looked away from him and he laughed in my ear loudly before grabbing my chin and forcing my to look at him. I cringed under his gaze and he only took it as a power move. He lunged for my neck, his tongue licking and sucking at my skin.

I tried to push him away, grabbing at his shirt and pushing him, "No…stop" I cried, tears brimming in my eyes. This couldn't be happening to me.

He pulled away from my neck and came close to my face, "You need to learn your place sweetheart, and you can't say no to me"

With the end of his sentence he crushed his lips down to mine and I felt my earlier nausea return. His lips covered mine and his wrapped his hand behind my neck, keeping me close to him. I pushed at his chest with my hands again, trying to get him away from me but he was so much stronger than me.

His hands began to travel my body and I began to push and strike out with my shoulders, trying to stop his touch and get him away from me. It was pointless though, he was too strong for me and the only way he would stop was on his own terms.

When eventually pulled away I didn't hesitate to strike out with my hand. My nails scratching his cheek as my hand made connection in a violent slap.

He cursed loudly in Russian, spitting as he spoke. I tried to make use of the distraction and get away. I pushed him away from me but his hand wrapped around my throat and he shoved me back against the wall with a _thud_.

The world went a little fuzzy for a few seconds as my head collided with the brick wall behind me. All I could see in front of me was Jesse's blue eyes full of hatred and a scowl on his mouth.

"You'll pay for that _suka,_ " he growled at me. Did he just call me a bitch? I was pretty certain that meant bitch.

The world was starting to fade around me and my head dropped in exhaustion. The sound of a gun cocking brought me back down to earth though, he was actually going to put a hole in me for saying no to him.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" a deeply accented voice asked.

Dimitri's voice.

I looked up and saw that there wasn't a gun pointed at me, but at Jesse's temple.

"No sir" he muttered releasing his hold on my neck. I sagged in relief, finally being able to breath properly again. I braced myself against the wall as Jesse stared down at me and I moved closer towards Dimitri.

He barked something in Russian and Ivan appeared out of thin air, well it seemed like thin air but he had most likely been there the entire time. He grabbed his younger brother by his collar and began pulling him towards the doors of my father's office. This wasn't going to be pretty.

Dimitri wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me walk back to my dressing table. I sat down in the chair and he began inspecting my neck. He cursed as he probed the skin softly with his fingers.

"It's bruised _milaya_ , but I'm more concerned about the hit to your head," he said softly before moving behind me.

"I'm a little dizzy…" I mumbled under my breath as I felt Dimitri separate my hair at the back of my head probably to find blood or something.

He was quite for a few moments as he assessed the back of my head, but I eventually heard a sigh and felt my hair return to its natural place.

"There isn't any bleeding but I wouldn't go back on stage Roza" he returned to my front and sat on my table, looking down at me with worried eyes.

"But Tasha-" I started but he promptly cut me off.

"I'll deal with Tasha for you, I'm taking you home once I've dealt with this. Stay put" he commanded, softness still lacing his words as he spoke to me though.

I nodded and he brushed a kiss over my lips before heading for the doors of baba's office. While the doors were open, I could see baba siting in his chair with Jesse sitting opposite him. Ivan flanking my father, which was interesting seeing as Jesse was his brother. They disappeared from view when Dimitri closed the door behind him though.

I hung my head in my hands and took a few deep breaths to steady myself. I eventually looked up at the mirror in front of me, leaning in close to examine the bruise that wrapped blotchily around my neck. I traced it with my finger and shivered with the feeling of disgust it brought me.

I still had the smell of his sweat and breath in my nose. My nails had blood underneath them and I felt like I could feel the slime of his mouth on my neck.

I refocused on my reflection once more but this time I wasn't the only one there. Mason was standing a few metres back, watching me. He had a look on his face that I hadn't seen before; one hat was mixed with worry and betrayal. It was his look of worry that made my hands shake. What was he thinking?

He began taking a few steps towards me, until he was behind me. I tensed up as he leaned over so that his face appeared next to mine in the mirror. I was still shaken up about Jesse and now Mason's presence was scaring me a bit. I was used to him laughing and smiling around me, I wasn't used to this cold look he currently had.

"Any particular reason why your _man_ is hidden away with your dad Hathaway?" Mason muttered into my ear.

I should have known this question would come up. Mason was extremely attentive and had been watching Dimitri carefully tonight. Him and Eddie were welcomed backstage regularly and it wouldn't have surprised me if he had of seen the entire scene that had just unfolded. But even if he hadn't, it wouldn't have looked good to see two apparent patrons going into the owner's office. I couldn't let anything slip though, so I decided to play dumb.

"I don't know wh-" I started, but he cut me off.

"Cut the shit Rose" he growled, "It doesn't take an idiot to know what is going on behind those doors"

I sat frozen, unable to form any words in my mouth.

"He's part of the Bratva isn't he Rose?"

Fuck.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _What do you guys think Dimitri will do to Jesse? And do you think Mason and Eddie are to be trusted?_

 _Until next time xx_

 _\- RCap_


	4. A Tattoo

**_Dimitri._**

Jesse was beaten until he was rendered unconscious. We would have kept him awake, but we wanted to make sure he wouldn't resist his tattoo.

What Jesse has done violated one of the Brotherhood's most sacred rules; Respect women at all time, no matter their race or occupation. He may not have raped Roza, but his intentions were clear. It wasn't just any woman he had done this to either, it was _mine_.

I ignored the pain in my hand as I stared down at the bloody mess on the floor. Already bruises were fast appearing in the places my fist had been and red saliva drooled from his slack jaws. I didn't feel any remorse for the damage I had done here. The bandages that Roza had applied on my hands only hours ago were now covered in blood, both Jesse's and my own.

Ivan grabbed Jesse's shoulders and heaved him off the ground, half dragging him to the other side of the small office before throwing him onto the leather couch. I didn't miss the scowl on his face nor the disappointment in his eyes as he looked down at his brother. I knew it would be hard for Ivan to see this happen to his brother, but he knew the rules and now Jesse had to pay the price.

"Go get Anton" I muttered to Ivan, receiving only a cut nod before he disappeared out of the doors.

I took one of the seats on the opposite sides of Abe and unwrapped the bandage from my knuckles. All that work Roza had done was wasted, but it had been worth it. Abe leaned over, handing me the silk handkerchief that he had had pressed to his own knuckles. He had gotten some good strikes in himself, but I knew that Abe was far from done with Jesse, even after he was tattooed.

I would allow Abe to do what he pleased to Jesse, assuming he was not killed as I wanted him to live with the shame that his actions have brought on and I would not get in the way of a father protecting his daughter.

After a few short minutes, Ivan and Anton slipped through the doors, a small wooden box cradled in Anton's hands. I had purposely picked Anton for this task as he was the worst artist we had here in Chicago, there was not an artistic bone in his body and it made him desirable for this job as this tattoo wasn't meant to be beautiful or admired.

Anton took the seat beside Jesse and began the process of tattooing the Eagle on the inside of his right forearm. This way, anyone who shook Jesse's hand in the future knew what he had done.

There were two different depictions of the Eagle to the Bratva. I had my own, but it signified that I was a senior authority figure, whereas Jesse's Eagle would carry a woman in its claws, indicating a rapist. I touched my sternum, the place where my Eagle was tattooed, before sighing deeply. I looked around the room finding Ivan with his head in his hands and Abe staring darkly at Jesse, most likely plotting his own punishment in his mind.

I had already been previously informed of some punishing he had done previously. Abe had taken the eye of another rapist a few years ago. An acquaintance of their family had raped Sydney Sage's older sister and when Abe had become aware of the atrocity, he had taken one the man's eyes. I could only see a similar fate in Jesse's future.

I stood up abruptly, making Abe flinch and Ivan jump up. I placed a hand on his shoulder, easing him back down before facing Abe, "I'm going to take Rose home".

Abe nodded, "Thank you, Dimitri, for saving my little girl".

I gave him a tight smile before leaving the office, it would take a couple of hours to do the tattoo, but I trusted that Ivan and Anton could handle Jesse if he woke up during the process. I looked at Roza's dressing table, but she was no longer sitting there. The backstage area was packed with girls and loud giggling, they were preparing for the final performance, it reminded me that I had to find Tasha.

She found me before I had even started looking for her, "Dimka" she crooned. Where the fuck had she heard my nickname? Only Ivan and my family called me by my nickname, she had no business having those words leave her lips. "What are you doing back here?"

She took a step towards me and my brows furrowed in confusion. She should have known from earlier in the bathroom that I wasn't on the table, I was 'taken' as such. What kind of woman tried to steal another's man?

"Looking for you actually" I replied sternly.

"Oh? What can I do for you then?" she batted her eyelashes at me and even took a step closer.

That was far too close for my liking, so I stepped back and spoke, "Roza won't be performing for the rest of the night. I'm taking her home"

Her features went hard at the mention of Roza and she stood up straight, placing her hands on his hips. "Too bad, she has a job to do and we need her for the final performance" she spat at me.

"Find someone else then" I spat back, moving around her to look for Roza.

"She can't just go home when she feels like it!"

"Why not? I mean, she _is_ the owner's daughter right and she is the lead dancer" I dared her to contest me, to say I was wrong when I knew that Tasha was not in charge around here, she was merely a choreographer.

When I got no response, I turned around and left the dressing room, searching for Roza. I spotted her sitting at the bar.

She had changed into what she had been wearing this morning. She had a cigarette in-between her fingers and he legs rocked nervously. I couldn't get past the haunted look on her face as she stared ahead of her, her features hard and stoic. It was a vast difference from what I had seen these past couple of days.

Once I got closer to her she noticed me and stepped down from the seat before waiting patiently for me to reach her.

"Did you let Tasha know?" she asked quietly.

I nodded before lacing my fingers with hers, "It's all taken care of Roza. Now let's get you home."

I pulled her close to me as we headed for the exit. I could feel the stare of someone though, looking around I caught the eyes of the redhead that I had been introduced to earlier. Mason, I believe his name was. His gaze switched from myself to Roza next to me and I felt her stiffen slightly before lowering her head, so her hair fell and concealed her face. I looked down at her quizzically. I knew these men were part of the American Mob, I mean you just had to look at them to know it, but she had gotten along with them well earlier in the night, had something happened that I wasn't aware of?

I pushed those thoughts out of my mind, focusing on getting Roza back to her apartment. The streets were cold for mid-January, and my duster struggled to keep all the cold away from me. It was about a ten-minute walk from the club to Roza's apartment but due to the blistering cold, it felt like a lot longer.

I could see that Roza was getting particularly cold herself, her nose and cheeks going red as she huddled closer to me. I let go of her hand and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her close and allowing a little more warmth for her, releasing her hand also meant she could dig them into the pockets of her coat.

We walked the distance mostly in silence, both of us trading each other sparing looks. I could tell something was wrong, I knew that Jesse would be on her mind, but I had a feeling there was something else. Maybe it had something to do with Mason or even Tasha. I had no idea, but I would wait until we were at least in her apartment to delve into those topics. I was currently focused on getting her out of the cold and making sure she was too badly injured.

We walked into a surprisingly warm apartment. I had prepared myself to be met with darkness and brisk cold but when Roza unlocked the door, there was a warm glow emitting from a lamp in the loungeroom and a steady heat being pushed through the area.

She stripped off her coat and hat, hanging them on coat hanger by the door, I follow suit and then walked with her into the kitchen.

"Do you want a coffee? I've got cocoa if you want something sweeter?" Roza asked quietly.

"Cocoa would be nice" I smiled as I gave the apartment a sweep with my eyes. It seemed bigger than earlier this morning. Apartments that had three bedrooms were extremely more expensive than others in this area. I could tell that Roza lived in the better side of Chicago; I'm guessing that was Abe's doing. I doubt he would have allowed her to live in a lower-class housing, the man was richer than he seemed.

I looked back to Roza and she had a small smile on her face as she prepared our mugs, "What?" I chuckled softly as I regarded her.

"I didn't think the Mafia liked hot cocoa," she giggled.

I leant my hip against the bench and crossed my arms, "The secret is to double the dose" I smiled. She looked up at me and studied my face before adding more to our mugs.

We stood in the kitchen just sipping ours drinks and staring at each other. She still had the haunted look in her eyes, but I could tell she was more relaxed now that she was in her own home and away from Jesse.

"Thank you, Comrade" she eventually whispered from behind her mug.

She had a soft smile on her face, I could still see the trauma behind her eyes but that little smile did wonders not only to herself but to me. To see her smile, brought my mood up and encouraged me to attempt to bring hers higher as well. I didn't want to see her upset if I could help it.

"Come on, let's have a look at that head of yours" I took the mug out of her hands and placed it in the sink along with my own.

I took her hand and pulled her towards the couch, she smiled and allowed me to drag her across the room. Once I had her seated I looked at her neck again, the purple colouring had increased and wrapped around her neck in the same way Jesse's hand had. I had to restrain myself from expressing how furious I was that this had happened to Roza. I was meant to have control over the men in my cell and Jesse had proved that just wasn't happening.

My anger boiled deep within me, like hot lava. It simmered in me, hungry for destruction; the destruction that I had gladly given over to Abe to handle. I could only imagine the fury that was blatantly displayed in my eyes as I looked over the bruise. I sighed deeply to calm myself, letting my hand drop from her neck and onto my thigh. How could I have let this happen to Roza?

"What's going to happen to him?" she whispered so softly that I could have missed it.

I didn't know what to tell her. I didn't necessarily want to tell her the full truth; there was a strong possibility that he wouldn't come out of this in one piece. She deserved to feel safe though. She deserved to have piece of mind that it wouldn't happen again and that she could go to work the next day feeling protected.

"He will be punished accordingly, Roza. The Brotherhood doesn't condone this type of behavior in _any_ way"

"Did his punishment include the beating?"

I stared at her wide-eyed. Of course, she would have known about Jesse's immediate beating, she had after all been sitting only a few meters from where it had happened. I should have assumed that the door wouldn't have stopped any traveling noise. It could have also explained why she wasn't there when I had left Abe's office.

I nodded slowly, waiting for some kind of backlash that would make her scared of me or worse. But it didn't come; she just stared at me with a look of awe in her eyes. I wasn't sure after what had happened that she should be looking at me like I was the answer to her problems, things like this probably had never happened before I came along.

Suddenly, the last possible sound I though I would hear tonight filled the apartment. She laughed. It wasn't as loud as her normal laugh, it was more guarded this time but it reached her eyes. They twinkled and I couldn't stop a smile spread across my lips.

"Why are you laughing Roza?" I managed to ask eventually.

She didn't answer my question. She leant closer to me, effectively obliterating any distance between us as her lips brushed against mine. It wasn't an innocent kiss either, it was much like the one we shared in the bathroom. She tangled her fingers in my hair at the nape of my neck and pulled me closer to her. I couldn't do anything at this point but sink into the kiss.

My hands wrapped around her waist instinctively and shifted her so that she straddled me, her knees resting on either side of me. I could feel the heat from her bare legs even through my slacks and the feel of her soft lips against mine ignited me further.

Her hands slipped from around my neck and trailed down my chest, resting on my pecks. She pushed me gently further into the back of the couch and leaned closer, pressing more of her against me.

Should I be letting this happen right now? She had just been assaulted by Jesse and was extremely vulnerable. But the feeling of her fingers on my body created a tingly sensation, like little sparks of fire running under my skin. I was suddenly addicted to her touch, and it seemed nothing could stand in its place.

Reluctantly, I pulled back. She regarded me with a confused expression at the abrupt change but she didn't move back any further. She stayed pressed up against me and in close proximity.

"What's wrong?" she breathed.

"You had a rough day Roza" I sighed, "I don't want to take advantage of that for my own benefit"

She smiled and leant down, kissing the side of my neck, "What if it's a _joint_ benefit".

A shiver ran through my body at her words and the tug of her teeth on my skin. _Focus Dimitri!_

I regained control of my muscles and pushed her slightly away from me. I could feel the heat drain from my body without her touch but I had to push through it, I wasn't like Jesse. I didn't take advantage of women in a vulnerable position, even if they wanted me to.

Her eyes flashed with hurt but it was soon replaced with fatigue. She was exhausted.

"Come on Roza, let's get you into bed huh" I chuckled and she wrapped her arms back around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder. I returned my hands to her waist and wrapped them securely around her before standing up.

I was stumped though when I was faced with three doors. I had only been here while drunk and due to all three of the girl's room being placed in a hallway; I hadn't seen where Sydney had exited from this morning. I was clueless and Roza was now fast asleep in my arms for the second night in a row.

The room behind the first door I opened was immaculate. The kind of organized that my own room was back at my residence but I had seen the state of Roza's dressing table at the club, she was not an organized woman. This wasn't the right room.

I think I hit the nail on the head with the second room though. The luxurious white bed spread sparking a memory in me. This was definitely the right room. I remembered the stark contrast the white silk had been against the delicate golden tan of her skin and the way her hair had splayed across the pillow like a halo. I smiled at the newly recovered memory as I laid Roza down under the silk. After a couple seconds deliberation, I decided to remove the dress she had on. The dress would crimple while she slept and I knew she had a slip on underneath it so she would still be able to protect her modesty while asleep.

She settled into the bed and began hugging the pillow under her head. I smiled once more at her before heading for the door, it would only be an hour or so until Lissa and Sydney would return from the club, I was sure she would be fine until then.

When I reached the door I heard her stir, "Dimitri" she murmured.

I turned and faced her, "Hmm?"

"Will you stay?"

I got a sudden tight feeling in my chest. God, I wanted to stay.

Without thinking I began toeing off my shoes and stepped around to the opposite side of her large bed. She rolled over to face me as I began unbuttoning my shirt and I felt my stomach knot under her gaze. I was unsettled about exposing my tattoos to Roza, they told a story of my damaged past and if she asked what they meant, I wasn't going to lie to her.

I removed the shirt and stripped to my underwear. In the few seconds I stood there she looked at me in awe, her gaze raking over my chest before bringing her bottom lip in-between her teeth. There was something angelic about the picture below me. Roza's curtains were drawn back and the entire room was covered in a white glow from the moon outside the window.

I was no longer infatuated with Roza; I was falling in love with her.

* * *

Reluctantly I uncovered my face, blinking as streaks of sunlight penetrated the window, threatening to blind me for the second morning in a row. The silk felt amazing against my skin but not as amazing as Roza felt. She was nestled in the crook of my arm, her back pressed flush against my side with my arm under her neck.

I smiled at the sleeping beauty in my arms, rolling closer to her and draping my other arm around her waist. She stirred slightly but then relaxed into my hold. This truly was a slice of paradise.

The morning moved slowly for us. I wasn't keen on getting back home any time soon, I wasn't sure what kind of state Ivan would be in and I was anxious to see what had happened to Jesse honestly.

Loud music began emitting from down the hall. The fast paced beat matching the sudden giggles and sounds of signing. Rose joined the giggling and spun around to look at me. I raised my eyebrow while looking down at her, curious as to what was causing the ruckus in the living room.

"Sunday is cleaning day," she explained with a laugh, "We put some music on and clean up the messes from the week. It was Sydney's idea"

It was becoming apparent that Sydney was somewhat of a mom to the women in this apartment. She was the responsible one out of the three.

The smile disappeared from her face, and I watched as she unconsciously raised her hand to her neck. She touched the skin cautiously and realisation flashed over her features. She must have momentarily forgotten about what had happened last night. A sinking feeling began consuming me as I watched her remember last night.

"How are you feeling Roza?" I whispered,

"It's sore," she said softly. Something changed in her features, her eyes darkened with realisation and her face glazed over before she jerked upright in the bed. "Mason knows Dimitri," she whispered, turning her torso so she was facing me still lying down.

I didn't know what she was talking about, what could Mason have found out that would cause such a reaction? I slowly sat up, placing a hand on her thigh before speaking, "What are you talking about Roza? What does Mason know?"

She swallowed before meeting my eye line, "He knows your part of the Bratva"

Shit. This was bad; we had to keep a low profile while here in Chicago. It wasn't necessarily the normal way we ran things but we didn't have the same resources in America that we did back home and it was a decent month on a boat before we could get any large reinforcements. We had to be careful.

My mind went into overdrive, trying to think up a possible solution to this problem. But what actually was the problem? All Roza had said was the Mason knew _I_ was part of the Bratva, she didn't say anything about any of my brothers nor the business.

"Do you think he will say anything to his superiors?" I questioned, trying to probe more into Mason's motives.

"I don't know…he was pretty upset that I was _involved_ with you though"

"Why would he be upset about that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Roza sighed and looked away from me, "When I was twenty-three he attempted to court me, make me his wife but I refused on the grounds that he was a member of the Mob. He caught me off guard and I couldn't deny you were apart of the Bratva, but I was able to convince him you were talking to baba about me"

"What did you say to him Roza?" I asked, curiosity dripping from my words. I was interested as to how she got him of our backs.

She cringed a little bit, wringing her hands together, "I said that you were seeking permission"

So she went with the marriage excuse, "Mason believes you are marrying someone from the Bratva?" she nodded, "Do you think it will hold? What happens if he finds out the truth?"

"I think he will keep it to himself, I'm more worried about if his superiors find out about your involvement in the business and what will happen to Mason."

Her voice trailed off as she looked away from me. She was worried about her friend and there was serious reasoning behind it. If the American Mob found out he knew information they would kill him for withholding it. She had enough on her mind though; this shouldn't need that to be added to her current list of issues. The only way to ensure her friends safety was to play along with the story.

"So we play the happy engaged couple" I smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Really?" she asked, trying to raise an eyebrow but failing miserably. I couldn't stop the laugh that came from deep within me while watching the attempt.

"Of course, if it means that your clubs partnership with the Bratva remains a secret and keeps your _friends_ off the trail, then I don't see a problem with it"

She narrowed her eyes at me momentarily, digesting my words. "I'll talk to baba when I get to the club tonight then. See what he thinks," she said softly, letting a small smile tug at the corner of her lips.

I smiled at the movement and I couldn't stop my need for her touch. I had given it up last night but god I wanted it now. I leaned into her and she greedily accepted my lips, pushing me back down onto the mattress and straddling me.

The feeling of her on top of me was short lasted though because Lissa barging through the door soon interrupted us.

"Wakey-wak-oh my god I'm so sorry!" Lissa screeched, covering her eyes with her hands as she noticed us.

"Liss!" Roza hissed back, sliding off me and pulling the bedspread up to cover her chest. I chuckled and let my head hit the pillow underneath me.

"I was just coming to remind you about the deposit" Lissa hissed peeking through a gap between her fingers.

"Fuck! What time is it Liss?"

Roza jumped out of bed, throwing the silk sheets back towards me and ran towards her closet, "About ten" she replied before quickly exiting the room.

"I'm gonna have to get a cab dammit" she cried while pulling on a dress over her slip. She began violently tugging at her hair with a brush, pulling through the knots hastily. I looked at her smiling; I had never seen her in such a rush. Roza was both unorganised and running late.

"What are you smiling at Comrade? You're coming with me," she laughed, "Get dressed".

"Yes ma'am" I chuckled before sliding out of the bed.

As I got ready, I knew that I would have to eventually have to deal with a conscious Jesse. I was seriously contemplating sending him to a different cell far away from here, just so he would be away from Roza. I'd have to discuss my options with Ruslan from the San Francisco area, he might be willing to take him on. God help him if he did.

All I knew was that I needed to ensure that no further harm would or could happen to Roza.


	5. A Crime

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi All!_

 _I want to apologize in advance if I get any geographical details wrong in this story. I live in Australia so I try to do as much research as possible about Chicago in 1925 for this story, but unfortunately, my facts won't always be spot on._

 _Thank you all for your reviews, I love them so so much xx_

 _-RCap_

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

I bounced nervously on the balls of my feet as I waited in line. I had thrown on the same clothes that I had been wearing last night, so I was tugging my coat tightly around me to hide the creased black dress.

While I waited to reach the front of the line I thought about last night. It had been a turbulent change of events. From being assaulted by Jesse to telling Mason I was engaged. I internally cursed at myself for saying that to Mason. Out of all the excuses I could have made up, I went with engaged. _Idiot_.

However, the confirmation that Jesse was being punished for his behavior last night was a small comfort. I had heard the grunts and sounds of abuse through my father's doors easily, and I hadn't been able to stop the pleasure that it had given me. I had no qualms about any suffering that he may be under, my father was not always a pleasant man and I knew the Bratva would deal with him in their own way as well.

The biggest shock had come this morning when Dimitri agreed to go along with the engaged excuse. We still had to run it by the old man but if it came to protecting the club and everyone in it, I didn't see him having any issues with it.

"Are you okay Roza?"

Dimitri's voice hauled me from my thoughts, placing me back in line at the bank. I didn't know what had caused the sudden questioning until I noticed my grip on the object in my hands.

The worn black pouch was hugged tightly to my chest, the leather's earthy smell filling my nose. The pouch was important and held not only our books but also the week's earnings. Pavel had already separated the earnings into their respective groups: the Bratva's share, the wages and then him and Baba's take.

"Mmhm" I hummed while nodding, however not relenting on my agitated bouncing.

I watched the line shorten, getting closer and closer to the lone teller at the end. The bank was only open until ten-thirty on a Sunday, hence my rush this morning. I had been present every Sunday for three years straight, I wasn't going to break that routine now. The young man's eyes lit up when I reached the front of the queue, the baby blue orbs sparkling with admiration.

I had to admit to flirting with Jacob on occasion. It wasn't my fault that he was absolutely adorable. But he was also another man on the damned payroll, his naïve attitude almost made me feel guilty. He had only agreed to the terms we set because I had been in the meeting and still to this day I wasn't sure if he had actually been aware of what he was getting involved in.

"Morning Jacob" I smiled brightly as I placed the pouch under the gold bars separating us.

"I didn't think you would make it today Rose" he sputtered out while running a hand over his perfectly styled chestnut hair, his smile matching my own but more hazily.

"Oh please, and miss our weekly date?" his cheeks flushed red; "I couldn't do that".

I knew well and good the effect I had on Jacob. I knew that my smile left him borderline speechless and that my flirting left a lasting impression on him, but it seemed to keep him loyal to baba and for that I was thankful.

I smiled and left him with the pouch's contents. The routine was that he would stamp the accounting papers with his approved stamp before depositing my baba's money in the safety deposit box. He would be by the club later tonight with the books and would collect his compensation.

We had to hide the fact that a portion of our intake went into a mystery deposit box and that a much larger portion of our intake was earned through the sale of liquor. Jacob signing off our books kept those factors quiet and meant that no other bankers could raise suspicion.

I returned to Dimitri who was waiting just off to the side and we made our way back to the street. It would take about twenty minutes to walk back to my apartment and if the throbbing pain in my feet was anything to go by, I was not going to make it by foot.

"I'm gonna get a cab back to the apartment," I said looking up to Dimitri's towering frame, "Are you gonna head back home? You're welcome to join me but you'll have to help clean". I smiled up at him, placing a hand on his chest and he let out a low and husky laugh.

"As much as I like the sounds of that Roza, I think I should head home and see how Ivan is doing." His features went from amused to grave at the mention of Ivan, I had momentarily forgotten about the effect his younger brother's actions would have had on him.

I nodded understandably, "I'll see you tonight then?"

"Of course _moya lyubov_ " he smiled down at me and I was able to see the kind of effect I had on Jacob because Dimitri had the same one on me. All it took was seeing those lips curl into a smile for me to go weak at the knees.

Damned Russian.

He kissed the corner of my lips in my dazed state before waving down the first yellow cab that whizzed down the street.

"Where to sweet'art?" the driver asked once I was seated in the back. I looked out the window to see Dimitri still standing there, waiting to see me off safely.

"Chicago Ave" I smiled at him and within seconds we were speeding off and away from Dimitri.

When I reached the door to my apartment I couldn't help but laugh at the loud singing coming from inside. The synchronized yelling of "Yes sir that's my baby!" making me out right laugh. Sydney had somewhat of an obsession with Gene Austin and her persistent need to always have his music on eventually made us become accustomed to him. It was now normal for us to be listening to him on a Sunday while we cleaned.

I unlocked the door and hung my coat up; keeping the silk scarf tightly wound around my neck but threw my hat at Sydney who had her back to me. She spun around and glared at the offending article of clothing before snapping.

"Hey, I just cleaned the floors!"

Lissa and I both fell into hysterics at her reaction and dropped to the couch. I scooped up my hat from the ground and placed it on the small table in front of me before looking back to my blond roommates.

"You know that's the second time in a row I have woken up to find the Russian here" Sydney glared, placing her hands on her hips in a demanding stance. Two could play the game though.

"But I didn't say anything about seeing Ivashkov sneaking out of here last week, did I?" I smirked, watching her glare be replaced with a look of horror. She thought I didn't know about the secret rendezvous' her and Adrian would have; both at the club and here.

"How did you know about that?" she squeaked.

"Oh come on Syd, it's obvious he's smitten" Lissa laughed.

It wasn't a secret that Adrian had a thing for Sydney and the fact that Sydney wasn't good at hiding her emotions meant it was only a matter of time before they got caught in the act.

"Hey, at least I acted on my feelings!" Sydney shot back playfully at her, god this was getting interesting.

"Christian isn't interested in me," she groaned back at her. Lissa was just as clueless as Christian.

"He is!" Sydney and I cried in unity.

As I watched the girls banter in front of me, I realized that I didn't want to burden them with what had happened last night. They hadn't asked where I had gone off too and I didn't want to make them worry about me. My hand twitched to touch the bruise hidden underneath my scarf but the girls would notice me playing with it and ask questions, so I kept my hands in my lap and ignored the bruise wanting attention.

* * *

I got to the club earlier than the others, hoping to find that Dimitri would already be there and we could catch baba alone.

Walking into the closed club was normally an eerie feeling, but not today for some reason. The band was sitting at one of the booths, laughing loudly as they all chatted between them. I smiled as I took off my coat, folding it over my arm and looked towards the bar. Christian was cleaning some glasses while chatting with Dimitri, and just looking at the back of his head made my breath catch in my throat.

The man was a perfect collection of coffee hues, the dim lighting on the bar only making his features more inviting. I held back for a couple of moments, watching him take long drags of the cigarette between his fingers. While watching him, I thought about the way his body had looked in the white lighting last night. I had finally seen the tattoos that had been hidden from me and they had elicited a more provocative response than they should of.

I knew the meaning of only two of his tattoos; the eagle that had been placed in the center of his chest meant he was important and a high up leader. There had also been an intricate rose wrapped in barbed wire that had been tattooed on his left peck. I was pretty sure that meant he had been in jail before he turned eighteen.

There were several more tattoos that I didn't know the meaning behind. They were probably meant to frighten me but they honestly just made him more attractive to me.

Christian noticed me and nodded in my direction, causing Dimitri to follow his gaze. His face lit up when he saw me and the smile that appeared on his face was soon mirrored on my own. I walked over to him sitting at the bar, brushing a kiss over his lips before pinching his cigarette and taking my own drag.

"How's Ivan?" I murmured cautiously.

"He's okay. I've dealt with Jesse as well. He's being transferred"

"Th-thank you, Comrade," I stammered, placing a hand on his arm.

He smiled at me and wrapped a hand around my waist, pulling me so that I was flush up against him. I could feel the heat from his body through my dress and it made me shiver with desire.

I had no doubt that if Lissa hadn't of interrupted us this morning; Dimitri and I would have become well acquainted with one another. And feeling him pressed up against me now was relighting every desire I had had both last night and this morning.

Looking into his bottomless eyes was like stepping on stage for me. It was like my mind would reboot and they were the only things left. When I heard the band begin their set and felt the music through my feet, the only thing I could think of was my dancing and the same now applied for when I looked at Dimitri. Just making mere eye contact with Dimitri blanked me. Like right now.

I heard a cough faintly but ignored it. It wasn't until the second one that Dimitri broke the spell, looking behind him and to the source of the cough.

"You wanted me to let you know when I was done with Abe" Adrian grunted from behind the bar.

Dimitri nodded once at him and then looked to me, "We can go see your father about our _solution_ "

"Okay, lets go" I sighed, butting out the cigarette and unwrapping myself from Dimitri.

Adrian smirked at me, knowing he had interrupted a moment but I knew just the way to wipe that smile off his face.

"Don't think you're so slick Ivashkov" I began, leaning over the bar ominously, "I saw you leaving our apartment last week, plus everyone knows about you and Sydney"

Dimitri chuckled lowly before walking off towards my father's office; I followed dutifully and left Adrian not saying boo.

Baba's office door was open when we approached it. He was sitting at his desk, his head engrossed in the papers strewn along his desk and in his hands. Pavel was also in there, but seemed to just be company, he had a bored look on his face that I assumed came with him at all times. I took a deep breath before rapping my knuckles on the wood.

" _Kiz_? Belikov?" my father looked up from his desk, regarding us both standing at the entrance of his office with a confused look "What can I do for you two?"

I suddenly had no idea how he would take this idea.

"Dimitri and I have something to talk to you about" I almost whispered as I walked into the office, taking a seat in one of the plush leather chairs in front of his desk.

My words seemed to perk his interest and he placed the papers that had been in his hands back down onto the desk. He leaned back in his chair and began stroking his goatee, the gold rings on his fingers glittering in the dim lighting and his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Dimitri take the other chair next to me. He briefly glanced beside him to Pavel before answering.

"I'm listening"

"After the _incident_ with Jesse last night, Mason Ashford approached me" I waited for my father to have some sort of reaction, but there was nothing…yet. So I continued.

"He figured out the Dimitri was from the Bratva," my father raised an eyebrow, but his other features made no change. I was starting to stress about the reaction he would have once I got the words out.

I looked to Dimitri and he nodded encouragingly at me, "I didn't know what to tell him. I didn't want to admit that there were more members here or even our involvement. So I said that Dimitri and I were engaged" I mumbled my last few words, and winced waiting for the backlash.

He only stared between the two of us. He didn't stop stroking his goatee and Pavel didn't move from his position behind baba. His arms crossed over his chest as he leant against the wall, although I think I spotted the hint of a smile spreading over his face.

After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, baba sighed dramatically and leaned forward.

"As much as I appreciate the _initiative_ kizim, I think this Mason chap saw right through you" baba smiled, matching Pavel's grin.

I glared back at him, "What makes your say that?"

"We got a visit from him shortly after you left the club. He came in while Jesse was being tattooed" _Tattooed?_ "He saw the end of Jesse's actions, therefore saw Belikov's display of dominance over him and then when you protected Dimitri's reasoning for being in my office, he put the pieces together"

Dammit Mason, why did he have to be such a good sleuth? What did this mean for us now then? The American Mob knew about our cooperation with the Bratva. I think it was safe to assume we were fucked.

"He's agreed to work for us. As a spook, if you will" Pavel interjected.

I jumped from my seat in surprise, "He what!" I cried. This was even worse, "He will be killed if they find out about him working with us!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was one thing to sit by and watch my father employee young men and women who could be jailed for their involvement in our business but Mason was different. If his boss found out he was relaying information about them to us, he would be killed without a second thought.

"You just put a death sentence on his head!" I yelled at my baba who was still sitting unfazed in his chair.

I felt the light touch of Dimitri grazing my hand with his, "Shh Roza" he whispered, tying to calm me down.

"Ashford made is own choice _kiz_. At the age of twenty-five I think it would be unfair of me to treat him as a teenager" baba chuckled; oblivious to the anger those words brought me.

"And yet here I am, the same age and you dictate _my_ life choices" I accused, my voice rough and agitated.

He knew I was right. At the prime age of twenty-five, I let my baba control more of my life than he should be able to. He picked the places I lived in and even had gone as far as picking out my dates for me.

Judging by the sudden bitter look on his face, he knew I was right as well. "That is different Rosemarie" he boomed.

Well, I must have really done it this time. He never referred to me as Rosemarie unless he was introducing me or if he was pissed at me, and seeing as I knew everyone in the room currently I found it appropriate to go with the latter of the two.

"It is exactly the same!" I yelled back, my fists clenching at my sides.

Baba slammed his fist down onto the desk and stood up with a speed I had never seen before, "Listen here little girl! You are my daughter and everything I do is to protect you! So I will not sit here and have you complain about my choices!"

I had to admit, the fire in his eyes and the snarl on his lips scared me. I had seen baba angry before but it had never been directed at me. I sat down sheepishly in my chair and his features softened immediately. I felt guilty for my outburst because even if I didn't want to admit it, I knew he was right in the end. His decisions had kept me alive and well.

Okay, I had really put my foot in my mouth here. I was able to admit that I guess.

I had to accept Mason's decision and pray that he didn't get Eddie involved, but those two were almost joined at the hip so I found it unlikely that he wouldn't at least know about it. Mason now being involved made Dimitri and I's reasoning to see my father pointless. So the first opportunity we could, we pretty much bolted.

"Rose"

I wasn't even three steps out of the door before I had been cornered again. I turned slowly to face the wrath of Tasha.

"What was so important for you to miss the final dance last night?" she spat at me, her cold blue eyes looking colder than normal.

What I was most shocked by was the act that she was trying to boss me around. She wasn't in charge around here, not even close. Not only did I not want to explain my reasoning behind my actions, I didn't have to.

"That's none of your business Tasha," I said back, venom lacing my words. Dimitri placed a hand on the small of my back but I knew that I could deal with this myself.

"It's okay, I'll see you later Comrade" I smiled, he looked towards Tasha for a second before returning to me.

"Okay _milaya_ " he nodded before retreating.

"You can't just run off like that with Dimka" Tasha snapped once he was out of sight.

My eyes bugged out of my head and every thought I had disappeared. Since when did she start calling him Dimka? I had only heard Ivan call him that. I knew that Tasha had some Russian heritage but _Dimka_ sounded more like an affectionate nickname, like how he called me Roza.

I was surprised at the amount of jealousy that it fired through me. Not even I called Dimitri _Dimka_. Sure I had my own nickname for him, but the affectionate tone in her voice when she used it rivaled my own and I couldn't stop the anger it made me feel.

"Why are you even wearing that?" she asked bitterly, pointing to my scarf, "the heaters are on"

I didn't know what to say, I was stunned and the only thing I could do what reach up to touch it. My mouth opened but no words formed to fill it.

Tasha's eyes narrowed as she looked at the scarf, "Covering love bites are we?"

I watched as her hand that had been pointed at me came closer to me; I knew she was going for the scarf.

"No Tasha, don't!" I argued but it was too late.

She went for my scarf, grabbing the material hard and ripping it from my body. Leaving my bruised neck on display for her to see. I could feel my cheeks redden as she noticed the bruising. It wasn't difficult to miss the blue and purple coloured hand that wrapped around my neck. They were far from love bites.

Her eyes widened and her entire demeanor changed from aggressive to pensive. I didn't want her pity but it was a pleasant change from her normal bitchiness.

Her face turned a ghastly white, paler than her natural colour and her eyes and mouth were frozen open. I wasn't sure if she was just shocked or if she was also surprised. Either way, I was beginning to feel the familiar heat rush to my cheeks.

I snatched the scarf out of her hands and she let go of it without a fight. I wrapped the scarf back around my neck but her eyes didn't drift from the area.

"Rose…" she trailed off; swallowing loudly before continuing, "What happened?" she breathed. Looking up from my neck, she focused on my eyes. There was something here that I hadn't seen in a long time. Concern.

"Someone tried to force my company," I whispered, nervously adjusting the scarf.

"Tried as in…failed?" she whispered back. It was definitely worrisome that was in her eyes because her voice now held it as well.

"Yes. They failed but I didn't get out of it… _unscathed_ "

If I had this much failure in hiding it from _Tasha_ than I had even less chance of hiding it from Lissa or any of the others girls. I really didn't want them all to know what had happened. I think Tasha figured that and gently took my hand in her own.

"We can hide it" she smiled softly, answering my inner turmoil.

She tugged on my hand, pulling me towards my mirror and pointed at the chair for me to set. I obliged and watched her rummage through some draws to the side. Eventually producing some powders and a small vial of tanned cream.

She unwrapped my scarf and abandoned it to the back of my chair, "Lift up your head" she said softly and I once again obliged, looking at the roof and raising my chin so she had full access to my neck.

I felt to cool touch of her fingers press lightly to my neck, soon followed by a dabbing with a brush. She spread the cream over the bruise, most likely covering the majority of it. After the cream had been applied, she began pressing powder overtop. I had no clue what she was doing but I sat still until she leant back and assessed her work.

"Take a look" she smiled, nodding to the mirror to the left of us.

I obeyed and gazed at my reflection. At first, I wasn't sure what I was meant to be looking at but then it caught my eye, or more like nothing caught my eye. She had covered my bruise completely. The makeup blending effortlessly into my natural skin colour and making the bruise unnoticeable.

"How-how did you do that?" I gasped, taking in the flawless application of the makeup.

Tasha chucked as she looked at me through my mirror, "I learnt a couple of tricks after my accident" she smiled almost sadly.

 _The accident_. It was hard to imagine Tasha without her scarring now. We had become so accustomed to it. But there had definitely been a time where she was one of the most beautiful women at the club.

It had been during the first year of Prohibition and Christian had gotten into a fight at another speakeasy. After the death of his father, Tasha's brother, Christian had spiraled out of control and began picking fights left right and center.

During a night of his absence, Tasha had decided to go out and search for him, finding him in a much darker and dangerous speakeasy. He had picked a fight with another patron and his opponent had smashed a glass bottle, most likely planning on using it on Christian but Tasha jumped between them. It was brave, but the broken bottle had punctured her left cheek and taken a decent chunk of the skin with it.

After that, Christian had gotten his shit together, quitting drinking altogether and went searching for a job. As a gesture of goodwill to Tasha, my father hired him without a second glance.

"Thank you Tasha" I turned my torso so that I looked at her directly in her eyes and not through the mirror. I took her hands in my own and gave them a light squeeze, "Thank you"

"Don't mention it" she smiled back.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _I know a lot of people hate Tasha (trust me I am one of them) but she wasn't always a villain and I always felt she just lost her way towards the end._

 _If you have read the short story "The Turn of the Flame" by Richelle Mead, you will notice that further into the story I will be referencing to Vinh and the effect his death had on Tasha and her future choices._

 _-RCap_


	6. A Conviction

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi Readers!_

 _Sorry for the late update, I had a busy weekend and only just got around to editing this chapter. I rushed the editing so I could post it, so I apologize in advance for any grammar/spelling errors._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _You will be reading about a very different Dimitri here than in the books. This chapter begins with some backstory about Dimitri in Russia and the crimes he committed that lead him into the mafia. I didn't want to delve too far into his crimes, so it is more of a brief peek._

 _The Dimitri in this story is a lot rougher than in the books (hence the OOC warning) so please be aware when reading this chapter, as there are themes of abuse and death. _

**_Please also note that this chapter overlaps with the previous chapter (same events, different POV)._**

 _As always, thank you a million times over for your reviews/favourites/follows xx_

 _\- RCap_

* * *

 ** _Dimitri._**

I was thirteen when I had lost control and beaten my father to death.

I had grown up in a home with a lot of violence. My father was a cruel man who regularly took his anger out on my mama and my sisters and me.

The physical abuse was almost tolerable, but in a house full of women the mental abuse took its toll. My sisters were ashamed of themselves and my mother was humiliated so regularly by my father that she seemed to be just a shell of her former self. I had sacrificed myself several times to try aid, my sisters, allowing my father to treat me like a human punching bag instead of them. I could take the hits better than they could.

The moment I snapped what when I found my mama lying on our kitchen floor, blood seeping beneath her head onto the wood floor. I don't remember what the arguing was about, but it was loud, we could hear it from upstairs. I still remember the _thumping_ of a body hitting the floor and the cruel laughing filtering below us.

My father had thought he had killed her and laughed from our sitting area at our attempts to help her. I too thought she was dead and some days I think that if I had known she was still alive, I wouldn't have ended up murdering my father. My mother survived, but I was incarcerated in 1907, my most probable demise being the death penalty.

However, due to my young age and the events that lead up to my crime, I ended up spending the better part of my teenage years off death row. I wasn't released until the age of twenty-four.

During my eleven year sentence was when I had become involved in the Bratva. My family struggled on the outside without money, our women couldn't work and I was now the only man of the house. Word of my crime spread fast through the ranks of the different Bratvas and my courage in standing up for the women in my life came with a wave of praise.

I was fifteen when I agreed to join the men around me in return for my family's financial security. I became a favorite for my leader quickly and he helped me progress impressively through the ranks while behind bars. It was a relief to know that my family was being supported during my incarceration, and ever more so that I would have a solid form of income for them upon my eventual release.

By the time of my release in 1918, I had a collection of tattoos that I both hated and appreciated at the same time. The one tattoo that I can look at and smile at is the hooded executioner on the side of my body, resting high on my right ribcage. It was the tattoo one would receive for killing a family member. It may seem sadistic, but I admired the tattoo. I hated my father and what he did to my family but I was glad that I had ultimately been the one to wreak his punishment.

Was it concerning that I didn't feel remorse for such a crime? Probably. Did I care? No.

All it took was for me to stand in front of a mirror and see the tattoos that covered my body to take me back to the events all those years ago. I was thirty-two now and no less damaged than that thirteen-year-old. However, that darkness I had lurking in me had brightened slightly since meeting Roza.

I had left Russia feeling a little deflated. I may not have lived in my hometown of Baia with my family, but I was certainly closer to them than I am now here in America. It was harder to leave them this time because I didn't know if I would ever make it back. What a bleak outlook right?

The Bratva was dangerous work and people were killed all the time, just because I was in charge around here didn't mean I was exempt from those possibilities. But upon seeing Roza by entire outlook had shifted. Maybe Chicago wouldn't be so bad if I had someone to spend my time here with?

Jesse, on the other hand, was quickly becoming the bane of my existence.

Ruslan hadn't been ecstatic when I had contacted him in regards to Jesse. Even though I out-ranked him, I wanted to give him the option of accepting Jesse himself. Jesse would be going there whether Ruslan liked it or not though. I was not going to have him here and be a risk to Roza.

When Jesse had awoken with his tattoo he had apparently been maniacal. It was expected that he would react negatively to the tattoo; almost all those who get forced tattoos lash out. But his reaction had been particularly violent and he tried his hardest to take that anger out on Anton for agreeing to do that tattoo.

Thus giving me further reasoning to send him away. He was not only a risk to Roza but also now the other men under my command. I will not stand for defiance and abuse. I just won't.

I had yet to even see Jesse since leaving him in Abe's office and currently I was the only one in the apartment. Saying I was worried about Ivan's reaction to all this was an understatement. Their relationship as brothers was already rocky due to their personalities clashing so much, but they were still brothers and Ivan tried his hardest to steer his younger sibling in the right direction.

I knew I had to approach Jesse and inform him of his change in location, however, I wanted to wait for Ivan and see if he wanted to come with me or stay out of it. After waiting for the remainder of the morning in the apartment, no one had returned home.

The large apartment was cold and silent, not a single sound filled the air. I couldn't help but feel that something was seriously wrong. While being trapped in my concerns I hadn't taken notice of the quiet but now it concerned me. Against my gut, I went wandering through the apartment. Poking my head into the different bedrooms and bathrooms.

It was hard to explain the feeling I was experiencing. It was almost like I was being watched; that someone had been or was still _was_ in the apartment. I felt my blood run cold at the possibility and realized was completely unarmed at the moment.

I jerked my shoulders as a chill ran through me and quickly decided to head over to Jesse's apartment without Ivan. I swiped up my duster and shrugged it on before hastily leaving the apartment, slamming the door loudly behind me.

I could have stuck around to see if there actually had been someone in the apartment but I knew when to pick my battles. I was unarmed and unaware of my situation; it was like walking onto a busy street while blindfolded. Idiotic.

* * *

Jesse stood before me looking pretty worse for wear. It seemed Abe had a pattern for not only rapists but also potential ones. Large bruises and lacerations covered Jesse's face but the peculiar looking bandage that was wrapped diagonally around his head and covering his right eye was a dead giveaway.

Abe had taken one of Jesse's eyes. Much like he had done to the man who had raped Sydney's sister.

I didn't feel guilty for leaving Jesse in Abe's care or for the eye gouging. I would probably have received worse if I had stood in the way of him honestly.

I suppressed the urge to smirk as he ushered me into the apartment, hopefully after this experience he wouldn't try something similar again.

I scanned the living area and scrunched up my nose in disgust. The place was trashed. Liquor bottles were scattered around the joint as well as an overfilled ashtray on the end table beside the couch. The entire area had a foul stench emitting from it. I doubted that if I went into the kitchen I would find a clean space.

"How long will it take you to clean this shit up?" I spat as my eyes continued to survey the damage.

"What?" he snapped.

I turned to face him, finding his hands clenched by his sides and the obvious signs of rage vibrating through his body.

"How long Jesse?" I sighed; I didn't want to make this a game. I wanted it dealt with.

Catching the impatience in my voice he yielded. "Tomorrow" he muttered in defeat.

I grunted in acknowledgment. I would have preferred to get him on the train going tonight but I guess tomorrow would do. I returned to looking around the apartment before continuing.

"I expect you at the station for the nine am train. You aren't welcome by the club tonight either."

I never thought that I would have to scold one of the men in my command like a child. And yet here I was, treating Jesse like a disobedient teenager.

I made my way to the door wanting to escape the mess around me. Jesse piped up when my hand connected with the knob.

"Where am I going?" he practically whispered.

I turned my head partially, "San Francisco. Ruslan said he would _take_ you."

Jesse's face paled at my words and he took a step towards me. If he uttered a single fucking complaint, I would seriously contemplate taking the other eye.

"But-" he began. I silenced any response with the stern narrowing of my eyes, not letting the rest of his sentence fall from his lips. He nodded once, and I jerked the door open before storming out.

I needed to find Ivan. I couldn't transfer his brother without him at least knowing.

Thankfully, when I returned to my apartment both Anton and Ivan were there. I gave them the rundown on what was going to happen with Jesse, even allowing Ivan to be the one to make sure he gets on the train.

I trusted Ivan with my life, I had no doubt that he would ensure Jesse got to San Francisco. I think at the same time he needed to be the one to do it. We were all disappointed in Jesse's actions, but Ivan was mostly embarrassed by it. Ivan had a good reputation among the cells but now the Zeklos name would be tainted.

I wasn't sure what Jesse would get up to under Ruslan's command, and I really didn't care as long as he didn't show his face around Roza again.

* * *

"Your girl is here" Christian muttered while cleaning the glasses in front of him. He nodded in the direction of the front entrance and I followed his gaze, letting my eyes land on Roza standing near the door.

I could feel a smile tug at my lips and then eventually take over my entire face. I was getting worse at hiding the joy it brought me just to see her.

She had left her hair down today, the thick waves cascading down her back and over her shoulders like silk.

She strode over towards me, rocking her hips as she walked. I could tell from the sultry look on her face it was purposeful, she knew damn well what she did to me. She didn't stop until she was standing mere inches from me and without uttering a word, she brushed her lips against mine. Not hard enough to be a kiss, but soft enough for an excited shiver to run down my spine and leave a tingling feeling on my lips.

I was too dazed to care when she stole the cigarette from my fingers, bringing the paper to her red-tinted lips and taking a deep drag. If I hadn't of been watching the movements of her lips, I would have missed her talking.

"How's Ivan?"

I blinked out of my haze and moved from her lips to her eyes, "He's okay. I've dealt with Jesse as well. He's being transferred."

I hoped that news made her feel safer. I prayed that it would be enough for her to not have to look over her shoulder at work, hoping the Jesse wouldn't be lurking around a corner.

"Th-Thankyou Comrade" she stammered, placing a hand on my arm. Her touch came with heat and the same tingling feeling her lips had.

I smiled warmly and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her as close to me as possible. Feeling her against me alighted every nerve in my body and kickstarted my memory from last night and this morning.

That feeling of her warm skin under my hands and the pulsating of her pulse under my lips. The memories were just as intoxicating as the real thing. I couldn't get enough of her and my sudden realization of my deeper feelings for her had made it so much more intense.

I had never been in love before. Due to being incarcerated until my mid-twenties, I had had little to no interaction with women until after my release. I picked up tactics easily, using my body and my easy charm to get what I wanted. Having said that, it didn't mean I abused the fact that most women clambered to get to me.

Despite my inexperience in any real feelings of love, I knew what I felt for Roza was real. How could it not be, when all it took was for her to simply be around for my entire being to react.

When she was on stage, I was mesmerized.

When she sat at the same table as me, I was in awe of her presence.

And when she was underneath me, I lost all inhibitions.

I noticed Adrian returning to the bar out of the corner of my eye, but I purposely ignored him. I had asked him to let me know when Abe was free, but this was most definitely not the time.

He had to cough a couple of times for me to acknowledge his presence, "You wanted me to let you know when I was done with Abe" he grunted, seemingly annoyed about both Roza and I ignoring him.

I nodded and turned back to Roza, "We can go see your father about our solution."

I wasn't sure how her father would react to our fake engagement. It would be a touchy area for him but if he wanted to ensure the club's security, it might be his best bet.

"Okay, let's go" Roza huffed, leaning over me so she could butt out the forgotten cigarette.

I caught a smirk from Adrian as he watched Roza unwillingly leave my hold and her eyes sparkled with mischief.

What was she up to?

I rose from my chair and took a couple of steps away from the bar before I heard her speak.

"Don't think your so slick Ivashkov" she leaned over the bar, undoubtedly giving me an excellent view of her ass, "I saw you leaving our apartment last week, plus everyone knows about you and Sydney."

I couldn't stop the laugh that vibrated through my chest and escaped my lips. Adrian's face was dumbstruck. Roza was right as well, Ivan had almost walked in on them in the supply room and immediately informed the entirety of the Bratva in Chicago, much like a teenager spreading gossip.

I walked away still chuckling in the direction of Abe's office, quickly hearing the clicking of Roza's heels following me.

* * *

The meeting with Abe had ended up going in a completely different direction that we had originally intended. One minute we were discussing the option of Roza and I posing as an engaged couple, then in the next Abe and Roza were yelling at each other.

I could see both their points of views. Abe was worried for his daughter, especially when she worked in an illegal institution, but she felt trapped by his decisions. Taking her rage out when he had said he wouldn't alter the choices of Mason but would for her.

The extreme outburst prompted that there was an underlying factor that drove Abe to be so protective of his daughter, who if she had stuck with tradition, would already be married by now and starting a family without his resistance.

Now wasn't the time to start asking questions of their time in Turkey though, I would stay quiet and let them battle it out, being emotional support for Roza when she required it. She didn't need me to fight her battles for her, especially the ones she had with her father.

However, I wasn't as surprised as Roza was about Mason choosing to help us. His feelings for Roza ran much deeper than she thought they did, him agreeing to work for Abe only confirming that.

He was endangering his life, and for what? Roza? The club? I wasn't certain of his motivations but I knew Roza played a pivotal role in his choice.

After the meeting had ended, I reluctantly left Roza with Tasha upon her cornering us. She had backed off slightly since I had told her off last night. Only sparing me a glance when she walked into the club soon after I had. I was relieved that I didn't have to fend off her advances, nor explain to Anton that she was making advances on me.

I had yet to hear Anton out about whatever relationship he had with the choreographer. Anton wasn't a very loving man. He didn't keep women around for a long time nor indulge them in any hints of courtship, so I didn't see Tasha being anymore than his current bed warmer. As harsh as it sounds, it's the truth.

Anton was the definition of brute strength and direction. He was like a guard dog for my division. If I didn't want to get my hands dirty, I sent Anton. He was the most dedicated man to the Bratva I had ever seen and continued to surprise me with how far he will go for us.

If you looked at him and Tasha side by side, they would seem like a well matching couple. His dark blond hair a contrast to Tasha's black hair, but their matching blue eyes were as piercing and cold as each other's.

He was a big guy as well, not as tall as me but what he lacked in height he gained in muscle.

The night came around fast and I was stunned at the size of the crowd for a Sunday night. The working week was about to begin and yet the covert club was once again on the verge of being at full capacity.

I watched from the back booth as people began pouring in. Men escorted their dates in, women who were dressed in elegant dresses and jewels that nowhere near rivaled those the dancers here had. Abe ensured they had the best of everything, and no matter how expensive the patrons looked, the dancers always seemed to look better.

I stiffened when a particularly large group barged through the doors. The billowing laughs and calls seemingly louder than the band playing in the background. American Mob.

I caught sight of Mason in the group and he quickly looked away from me, averting his eyes to the nearest commodity to him, anguish flashing in his eyes. He had obviously agreed to work for Abe due to his feelings for Roza, but he knew about Roza and I being somewhat _together_. Was that the cause of his apparent sorrow?

I was able to push him from my mind for most of the night, but as Ivan and the other men joined me at the booth the tension ramped up between us all. We all watched them cautiously as the loud group of men openly drank themselves under the table. I couldn't help but glare at them as they acted like they were in their own territory. This club was mine, and yet I couldn't even assert that unless our operation came directly under threat.

I stalked over to the bar, looking anxiously over my shoulder back at the group. I didn't want them out of my sight. I looked down momentarily and flexed my still bandaged hand. I thought seriously about removing it so that I would be known immediately as Russian Bratva to anyone who shook my hand, but that didn't seem like a good idea on paper.

I made eye contact with Adrian and he nodded knowingly. Producing a concealed bottle of Russian Standard from the cabinet behind the bar.

"Dimitri"

I jerked my head around to face the voice and was met with red hair and freckles, Mason.

"Ashford, what can I do for you?" I grunted, looking sidelong at Adrian who was now watching the both of us cautiously. He arched a brow before pouring my glass of clear liquid and placing it beside me hand. I nodded in thanks and swiped up the glass, bringing the class to my lips, but not yet letting myself indulge in its contents.

Mason looked seemingly distressed standing in front of me. I didn't mean to intimidate him; he was on the same team as I was at the end of the day. So, I leaned back against the bar slightly, trying to appear more casual and not loom over him as much; it appeared to relax him slightly.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night" his voice was strong, but I could hear the underlying fear that laced his words.

"Which part?" I said calmly, finally taking a large sip of my vodka.

Mason turned slightly to look at the main stage. Roza and a couple of the other dancers were in the middle of a dance, completely engrossed in their movements. "Is she okay?" he murmured.

I took my time in answering the question. Was she okay? Not fully, but she would get there.

"I was so angry about seeing her kiss you that I didn't even ask if she was okay. That guy assaulted her, and I was too caught up in that kiss to care. You know she rejected me for being apart of the American Mob? I would have left it all behind as well if it meant she gave me at least a chance"

I found his words curious. He let his jealousy over Roza and I trump his own feelings for her. It was stupid; if he loved or really cared for her he wouldn't have worried about the kiss, only her safety.

"And then seeing her let you kiss her just seemed to make me snap. In the end, she chose a man from the Russian Bratva" he scoffed before pulling a cigarette out of the deck in his pocket.

I didn't really know what to say. I wasn't going to apologize for being with Roza, by the sounds of things she was never his anyway. So, I simply skipped it and responded about her state of mind.

"She'll be okay. I've dealt with Jesse accordingly"

"Jesse?" he muttered, the smoke from his cigarette billowing from his mouth as he talked. I could see the gears turning in his head over the name, trying to recognize it, "Is that the guy that…" he trailed off.

"Yes" I coughed, straightening up slightly, "he's gone."

It was tense and silent for a couple of seconds between us before he continued, he rubbed the back of his neck roughly and adverted his eyes. "You know there was a lot of talk about this place"

I let my eyes roam over the space. Taking in the bar that stretched along much of the back wall, the booths that lines one wall and all the circular tables in front of the stage.

"Everyone talked about how Mazur managed to keep this place afloat. We knew it wasn't us, the Italians claimed it wasn't them and so did the other gangs in the area"

"And yet you never guessed Russia" I grunted before throwing back the entire contents of my drink. Looking back to Adrian, he refilled the glass and returned to being a silent observer.

"They actually settled on no one" he chuckled.

Now that surprised me. They figured eventually that Abe _had_ done this all on his own. It wouldn't have been far from the truth, he may have very easily been able to keep this place open by his own ability, but we smuggled in Russian liquors whereas a lot of the other speakeasys in the area had moonshine and bathtub gin. The nasty stuff.

I arched an eyebrow in my surprise, "You figured it out though huh" I smiled slyly. I didn't want to admit that I was somewhat impressed with his talent of sleuthing, but he was able to figure out what none of the other mobs could and without seeing my tattoos or any other distinguishing characteristics.

Maybe he would do good being on our side.

"I only figured it out when you pointed the gun at that Jesse guy. Plus, he called you _'boss_ '"

My eyes flickered behind Mason upon seeing another man quickly approaching; I looked him up and down critically. He would have been in his forties if I had to guess, shortly shaved hair and a scowl that looked permanent.

"Mason…who's your friend?" the stranger asked once he reached us. Up close, I recognized him as one of the other men that had been with Mason when he entered the club, and judging by the sudden change in Mason's posture, he was an authority figure to him, most likely his boss.

"Stan, this is Dimitri Belikov" Mason grunted. Stan looked from Mason to me, still resting comfortably with a smirk on my face.

"Right, I've seen you here the last couple of nights" he grouched, "Liking the club?"

I would have been okay with the question if he hadn't of flicked out his right arm, like a king announcing his land.

"More so what's in it," I said dryly, trying to keep the anger inside me from boiling over.

Stan narrowed his eyes at me dangerously. But before he could utter a single word, Mason came to my sudden rescue.

"Dimitri is actually dating one of the dancers" he coughed, surprising both Stan and myself.

I went back to looking at the stage, finding Roza twirling quickly and just like that I was entranced once again. Watching her long locks fly out behind her, the black corset leaving little to my imagination and-

"Ah, Hathaway?"

Stan's crooning brought me back to the bar and I stood up straight, ready to defend any crude remark he had about Roza. I could see the lust in his eyes as he looked up to the stage and it brought a wave of nausea through me.

"Isn't that the kitten you were chasing after Mason?" he laughed, smacking his hand down roughly on his shoulder.

"Something like that" Mason muttered, looking down at his feet.

The music ended with a grand finish and the crowd erupted into a load roar. I smiled myself upon seeing Roza smiling and breathless on stage. The routine she had done was a lot faster than her normal routines and I could see from here her chest heaving up and down.

Even all flustered and panting she looked like a goddess. she followed the other girls off stage and the heavy curtains once again covered the stage. The band began playing again, but more of a room filling tune rather than announcing a dance. I took that as my opportunity to evade the men in front of me.

"If you'll excuse me gentlemen" I grunted, pushing myself from the bar.

"Of course, the shebas need to be tendered to" Stan smirked, winking at me.

I couldn't stop to scowl that appeared on my face at his words. I didn't like the degrading tone in his voice, nor the smirk he had. I narrowed my eyes slightly and his eye twitched.

Got him.

That was all I needed to assert a sense of dominance over him.


	7. A Dream

**_Authors Note:_**

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _Mature scenes are placed in this chapter._

 _I also wanted to acknowledge a Guest review for the last chapter. I should have noted that the events of the previous two chapters overlap. The talk with Abe was written during Chapter 5 (Crimes) and in Rose's POV but I skipped over it in Chapter 6 (Conviction) with Dimitri's POV._

 _I did go back to the chapter and edit it slightly, fixing where it was skipped completely and added in snippets to acknowledge the conversation. I did not mix up any chapters; I simply overlapped them._

 _\- RCap_

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

 _I was sprawled out naked underneath him. Feeling the slight pressure of his heavy body against mine as he trailed soft kisses along my jaw and then down my neck._

 _I arched my back, trying to touch more of him, brushing my hands over the bulging biceps that were placed either side of me, the muscles straining to keep his body from crushing mine._

 _I let my nails dig into the flesh, almost hard enough to draw blood. A low growl emitted from deep within him and vibrated through me. I gasped at the feeling and shifted so that I began trailing my hands down the warm tattooed flesh of his chest._

 _With lightning fast speed, he shifted back onto his knees, his thighs moving under my own and hitching my hips up and legs apart slightly. He snatched my wrists and captured them so that they were stilled above my head._

 _"It's my turn, Roza," he purred as his face came back into my vision._

 _His dark hair creating a veil around us as his lips brushed delicately over my cheekbone. I shivered at the contact and attempted to ground my hips into his own._

 _"Stay still Roza"_

 _"Or what" I moaned provocatively as his lips restarted their track down my jaw._

 _"Otherwise I might have to restrain you," he growled against my neck, nibbling at the skin._

 _I pooled with heat at his words. The knot in my stomach was only getting tighter as he spoke and I tried to rub my thighs together in an attempt to create some sort of friction. He moved his thighs higher, pushing my legs even further apart and dispelling any possibility of relieving the building pressure._

 _"Please Dimitri" I moaned._

 _His lips began working their way over my collarbone and then into the valley of my breasts, placing a kiss in the center of my sternum but then bypassing my breasts all together._

 _Why? I wasn't sure. My generously sized breasts were the most enticing part of my body in my own opinion; it frustrated me that he didn't show them any attention._

 _But he kept moving downwards until he reached the point where my ribcage ended, looking up briefly before speaking._

 _"No touching Roza. If you do, I'll tie them up. Do you understand?"_

 _I nodded, before letting my head hitting the pillow underneath me roughly._

 _"Tell me, Roza. Tell me you understand."_

 _"I understand," I whimpered._

 _Releasing my wrists from his confines, his large hands began slowly moving down my forearms, touching every bit of skin he could. They continued down my arms and applied pressure as they wrapped around my ribs, his thumbs brushing over my nipples and causing me to buck up again in defiance._

 _It mustn't have been defiant enough. Dimitri didn't stop nor restrain me; he only continued his journey further down. When he hands were around the curve of my waist, his lips returned to the skin of my flat stomach. Placing descending kisses over the area and then further down to my abdomen._

 _The knot returned with a hungry fire as his hands disappeared behind between my inner thighs. His lips then trailing where his hands left. I pushed my head further back into the pillow and gripped the fabric of the sheets beside me tightly. God, he was driving me insane. The feel of his light stubble against the inside of my thighs was pleasurably uncomfortable but was alighting my desire in a rough way._

 _He continued to pepper my inner thighs with kisses, coming closer and closer until he made contact with my clit._

 _I gasped at the contact as the fire began to run through me furiously. For such a tough man, his kisses were soft and delicate. His tongue giving just the right amount of pressure to begin pushing me closer to the edge._

 _I had been so drunk on the pleasure that came with his lips that I didn't realize just how aroused I was._

 _"Do you know how good you taste Roza" Dimitri murmured as he lifted his head slightly._

 _I didn't have a chance to process nor answer his words before his lips had returned to me, more furious and electrifying than before. I bucked without control and he forced me back down roughly with one arm, leaving his splayed-out hand on my stomach in case I tried it again._

 _I gripped the sheets so tightly that I was scared I would rip them and as the familiar feeling in my abdomen began to creep in, my breathless gasps becoming loud moans._

 _Spots danced behind my eyes and sparks of ecstasy began flowing through my body as my orgasm loomed over me. My body wracking with pleasure as he-_

I jerked upright in my bed, my breath coming out ragged and uneven. I brought my hand up to my chest, feeling the erratic pumping that was surely too fast to be healthy. I looked beside me, only to find the bed empty, the silk sheets cold and untampered with.

It had all been a dream.

I scrubbed my face harshly in my hands as I sighed, taking some deep breaths, and attempting to bring my heart rate and breathing under control.

The same pulsating from my dream was still present while awake, and I investigated the offending area. My fingers brushing up against my core and making me groan in frustration as I found the area slick and warm. Pulling on my silk robe, I tugged it tight and walked through the silent apartment and towards the bathroom.

I glanced at the clock placed above the fireplace and groaned again. For fucks sake, _Three-thirty._

I slipped into the bathroom, flicked on the light, and stared at my reflection. My brown eyes were hung with dark circles from my interrupted sleep and my cheeks slightly puffy and red. I collected my hair behind my head and spun it, creating a twist and clamping the long tresses back. I splashed my face with water, gasping when the coldness attacked the heat of my cheeks. I also doused a cloth in warmer water and cleaned myself up.

These dreams were becoming a nuisance. They were becoming dreams that could make even the most accomplished working girl blush. I looked up and frowned at my reflection, annoyed at myself for getting so caught up in a man and letting him have control over my dreams.

I padded out of the bathroom and through the sitting area, making a beeline for the kitchen. I noticed Adrian's coat hanging over one of the dining chairs and scowled.

It had been a week since I told him that his and Sydney's secret wasn't so secret anymore, and they had taken that as the go-ahead to reveal their relationship.

Don't get me wrong, I was happy for them. But their newfound confidence as a couple was interrupting _my own_ sex life.

Most morning this past week I woke up next to Dimitri, whether it was here or as of the past couple of days, his own apartment. We were still yet to _actually_ have sex, and if the dreams I was having were any indication, it was fucking frustrating.

Anytime we got close, something interrupted us. Whether it was Sydney and Adrian making too much noise or as of most recently, a pair of drunk Russians.

If I weren't so sexually frustrated I would have found it all funny. But having two massive Russians burst into Dimitri's room when you have little to no clothing on becomes irritating, especially after the first three times. Of course, Ivan and Anton wouldn't only just barge through the door and interrupt us, but they would also yell at each other in Russian, actually scream is a probably a better word honestly. But the screaming would echo throughout the entire apartment and make any form of intimacy impossible.

I ran a glass under the cold-water tap before chugging the water greedily, the water easing some of the burn that was residing in my throat.

"What are you doing up Baby Vamp?"

I jumped and spun around to face the owner of the tired voice, unexcitedly finding a topless Adrian standing in my kitchen. His hair was messy and pointing in different directions and the moonlight coming through the open window gleamed off his taut chest. If I didn't see him as an older brother I would have found his half-nakedness extremely distracting and enticing.

"I had a…nightmare," I muttered, turning back towards the sink, and topped off my glass once again. I polished off the water and left the empty glass in the sink.

"Belikov not here to save you?" he chuckled and I smiled softly, "Where is he anyway? Doesn't he normally stay the night?"

I turned to face him, leaning back against the bench, and crossing my arms over my stomach protectively, "Yeah normally. It's Anton's birthday but so they are all out celebrating"

"How much trouble can six cocky Russians get into anyway?" Adrian scoffed, resting his hip against the counter opposite me.

I wasn't worried about the boys or Dimitri but Adrian's quip unsettled something in me. A surreal sense of envy against the women that would most likely be feigning for their attention, or more importantly, Dimitri's.

"Hopefully none…and they aren't cocky," I muttered looking at my feet.

"I'm just messing with you Baby Vamp" he chuckled before pushing away from the counter, "Come on let's get you into bed"

I smiled and followed him out of the kitchen, but as we passed the near the front door a monstrous _bang_ of someone hitting the front door erupted, causing me to yelp and jump back. I looked up at Adrian who was wide-eyed and stunned as he stared at the door.

The banging continued, but within seconds whoever was behind the door began turning the knob.

"Adrian…" I whispered, "…did you and Sydney lock the door when you got home?"

My hands were beginning to shake and I could feel my heart starting to speed up.

"I-I don't remember Rose," he whispered.

We were both frozen in shock and even fear as the door clicked, and whoever was behind it began pushing it open.

Well, that answered my question. Definitely not locked.

My heart was thundering so loudly and violently I was afraid it would break through its bone cage, and the sound of my blood pumping in my ears was so loud that it was throwing me off. I tensed myself, ready to lunge at whoever was behind the door, hoping to catch them off guard.

But the heavily accented voice slurring my name stopped me dead in my tracks.

" _Roza…_ "

 _Dimitri?_

"You should really lock your door _milaya_ " Dimitri muttered to himself as he stumbled into the apartment.

The guy barely fit through the doorframe on any normal day and his current drunken state only seemed to make it immensely more difficult for him.

A nervous laugh escaped my lips. He hadn't even noticed Adrian and I standing only a few steps away from him yet. My laugh alerted him of our presence and his head snapped up violently, a hint of anxiety in those big brown eyes of his, once he realized it was us they softened, and his lips broke out into a seductive smile.

"Roza, _milaya_ …" he slurred before beginning to ramble in Russian, his words making no sense to either Adrian or myself.

I laughed again and walked towards him, wrapping an arm around his waist, and kicking the door closed with my foot. I shifted slightly so that I could lock the door, but Dimitri slumped slightly in my arms, causing me to grunt in surprise.

Standing across from me Adrian laughed loudly, doubling over, and holding his stomach. "Hey, chuckles! Could you help me out here?" I hissed while Dimitri's bulking frame threatened to crush me.

Adrian straightened himself out and closed the distance between us, threading his arm around the other side of Dimitri's waist like I had and moving under his shoulder. The weight immediately lessened and I was able to lock the door and secure the chain, but it was still going to take work to get him into bed.

"Couch?" Adrian suggested.

"He's too big for it," I said without a second thought, plus I think he would sleep better in a proper bed. "Come one, let's get him into bed."

Adrian and I shuffled along the hallway, finding Sydney standing in the doorframe of her room watching us with an amused smile on her face and her arms crossed over her chest.

"Don't even start Syd," I warned. She made a locking motion in front of her lips but continued to grin widely.

Once in front of my bed, Dimitri ungracefully fell back onto the mattress with a _thud_. "I think I got it from here. Thanks, Adrian"

"Any time, just make sure you get some sleep as well yeah?" Adrian grinned.

"Yeah, I will."

Adrian shut the door behind him and I began taking off Dimitri's shoes. First untying them before peeling them off. That was the only easy part of undressing him. His pants were considerably worse. With his legs dangling off the side of the bed, I had to roll him from side to side, just so I could get the damn slacks off his hips.

I unbuttoned his shirt softly and heard my breathing catch at the sight of his bare chest. I was no stranger to it now, but it never ceased to leave me breathless. I had to resist the urge to run my hands over his chest and then his well-defined abdomen.

I hadn't asked him what his other tattoos meant. I knew they would be deeply personal and hold massive keys into his past, but there was no way I would push him to open up about that stuff. I hadn't even delved into the darker depths of when I lived in Turkey. He didn't know about my mother nor what had happened to her, so I wasn't going to push for his either.

I felt like I had achieved something when I finally had him undressed. The tanned god sprawled over almost the entirety of my mattress, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Since I first met Dimitri at the bar last week, I knew there was an immediate spark and as the week went on that spark had turned into an all-out blaze. There wasn't just lust between us, but something different.

Would it be crazy to say love? I didn't know if the feeling was mutual, but I was feeling it. Looking down at him I smiled softly to myself. Yeah, I did love him.

I ended up having to stand on top of my mattress just so I was able to heave him higher up in the bed and then under the sheets. It could have been considered a work out as I almost broke out in a sweat.

He began mumbling in Russian again. His voice low and husky as the words filled my ears. I loved hearing him speak Russian, I couldn't understand a single word that left his lips, but damn it sounded good.

" _Roza…ya lyublyu tebya_ " he murmured.

I froze at the words. They sounded different than his incoherent ramblings, though he still murmured the words, I heard them clearly and he said them with such certainty. _Ya lyublyu tebya_. I'd have to remember that and ask him what it meant in the morning. For now, though, it could wait.

I pulled up the sheets and draped them over his body to block out the January cold and quickly patted out into the kitchen to get a glass of water for him. I had a feeling he wouldn't be feeling too good when he eventually woke up.

I placed the glass on the bedside table on his side and covered the naked window with its curtain. I may like the sun in the morning, but I doubted his eyes would agree with it.

I got back into bed, snuggling down in the silk sheets, and let sleep take over me. Just before I was lost in the dark abyss, I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist and begin pulling me closer to them until I was pressed fully up against a warm chest.

He sighed into the crook of my neck, once again repeating the words that had left his lips moments before.

* * *

I was jolted awake by the faint mutterings in another language. I spun myself around and saw Dimitri lying back on his pillow, his large hands covering his face as he muttered into them. I could see the faint tinge of sunlight trying to peek through the curtains and smiled.

"Good morning" I giggled.

"Did I wake you last night?" Dimitri asked eventually, his voice was thick with his accent.

"I was already awake when you barged through my front door" I laughed softly, "Adrian and I were already standing in the sitting room"

"What were you doing up?" he asked, peeking slightly through the gap in his fingers.

"Nightmares" I lied while almost instinctively rubbing my thighs together.

Dimitri seemed to notice the disturbance under the sheets and removed the hands covering his face, his gaze flicking momentarily down to my lower body. A smirk began appearing on his lips once he returned to my eyes and he shuffled closer.

"Nightmares huh?" he toyed as he ran a finger over my hip. Even through the sheets, I could still feel the warmth the single touch brought.

"Yep" I managed to say, but I doubt it sounded convincing.

He inched closer to me so that our bodies were pressed up against each other fully, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help" he growled softly, hinting heavily that he knew exactly what kind of dream I had had.

"Don't be…" I said breathlessly. I could feel my heart rate speeding up again, the ever-present pounding in my lower abdomen making itself known once again.

Without proper warning his lips were on mine, his tongue running softly over my bottom lip looking for permission. I yielded and opened my mouth to him as our lips moved with perfect synchronicity. I felt his hand wrap itself in the hair at the back of my neck, using the position to pull me closer as the other trailed down and cupped the back of my thigh.

I wasn't any gentler with him, one of my hands tangling itself in his hair much like his own was doing while the other danced down his chest, my nails scratching the skin slightly.

But despite the passionate kiss, my own thoughts were beginning to niggle through and question what he had said last night. The words seemed affectionate but there was something about Dimitri speaking Russian that made every word he said sound inviting. He could have been condemning me to death and it would still arouse me in places it shouldn't.

"Dimitri" I mumbled against his lips since he was more awake now.

Fuck, I was really going to ruin this moment.

"Mm?" he hummed.

"What does _'ya lyublyu tebya'_ mean?" I know I probably butchered the pronunciation, but guessing by the way his entire body froze, I got it close enough for him to know.

"I said that?" he asked, his voice a little croaky.

I nodded, "Multiple times actually."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine, tiny strains appearing around his eyes like he was trying to decide whether to tell me the translation or not. Maybe it _was_ a bad thing, maybe it was something that he couldn't tell me to my face while sober and now he would have to.

He released my leg and hair, bringing both his hands up to take my cheeks in his palms and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. He leaned out ever so slightly so that his lips were only brushing mine as he spoke.

"It means _'I love you_ ' milaya" he breathed.

"It what?" I squeaked.

He had been telling me he loved me last night while I had been thinking the same thing about him. After all my doubt that he was just simply infatuated with me, I had been proven wrong, he did love me.

"It probably seems really early but I can't stop myself from feeling it. I just can't, I-"

I cut off the beginning of his rambling, placing two fingers over his lips in an attempt to hush him. He yielded and stopped speaking. I could see fear dancing in his eyes. A fear that I wouldn't return his love and be repulsed by his claim. He watched my eyes with caution as he continued to cup my cheeks. Guess there is no better time to tell him than now.

"I love you too Dimitri" I breathed, barely getting out his name before his lips came crashing against mine.

One of his hands left my cheek and began running back down my side. Over my hip it went and down the back of my thigh, once he reached behind my knee he pulled upwards and making my leg wrap around his hip.

The familiar knot from my dream returned with equal passion as before.

I tensed slightly, waiting for something to interrupt us, and listened for any activity in the apartment and was met with dead silence.

"What?" Dimitri mumbled between kisses, sensing my stillness.

I waited a couple more seconds almost expecting the moment to be interrupted. "Nothing" I finally breathed before wrapping my hand further into his hair and pulling him closer.

He shifted me under him and moved from my lips to my jaw, trailing soft but eager kisses across my jaw until he reached the sweet spot behind my ear. I arched my back in agreement, ensuring that our chests were pressed tightly against the other and that I could feel the disturbance further below.

I ground my hips into the cotton covered bulge, eliciting a throaty growl from Dimitri much like in my dream. Thinking of the dream only seemed to spur me on further and I unconsciously began imitating the same actions as I had in the dream; removing my hands from his hair and dragging my nails over his chest. Faint red scratches followed my fingertips as they mixed with the black ink.

" _Roza,_ don't start something you can't finish" Dimitri growled as he looked up from the crook of my neck.

I could see the muscles in his arms starting to tremor with anticipation and the straining in his voice told me that he was one touch away from snapping.

"Who said I don't intend to finish this" I whispered into his ear before taking his lobe between my teeth and giving it a teething bite.

Dimitri said something in Russian that sounded an awful lot like a swear word as he returned his lips to my body. Any softness had now been chucked out of the window as he attacked the skin with bruising kisses.

I could feel him between my legs and I was starting to get impatient. As unromantic as it sounded, I just wanted him to hurry up so I reached down and began tugging at the waistband of his underwear. I smiled triumphantly when I felt him become free of the cotton bonds and he inched closer to my core.

Suddenly there was a soft rapping that the door followed by Lissa's cautious voice, "Uh…Rose?

No. Fucking. Way.

"Go away, Lissa!" I shot back.

There was no way I was getting this close to sex with Dimitri and then getting interrupted. Enough is enough, the world could be ending for all I cared, but I was not leaving this bed.

"Uhm…Pavel is here to see you" she said softly, her voice muffled by the wooden door.

Maybe I was in hell and my eternal torment would be interruptions in my sex life. That way I could get as close as I wanted, but never get the follow through.

Dimitri looked down at me with a worried look on his face. "Ignore them," I said strongly, "They will go away…eventually."

Dimitri gave one more fleeting look at the door before gazing back at me. His eyes still held uncertainty of my plan in ignoring them, so I pulled him back down to my lips, kissing him with urgency and fire as I guided my hips back towards his.

His desire picked back up once I felt his tip begin to sink into me. His mouth came down harshly on mine and he snaked his arm around my waist, and with every inch he pulled me closer I felt him begin to fill me up. Whatever pain I would experience from his overachieving size being outweighed purely by my arousal and excitement.

"He said if you don't come out…he's coming in."

Fuck that.

Dimitri and I tore our lips apart, both sharing fearful glances to each other. I shoved him back before scrambling out from underneath him and jumping out of bed with a _thud_. The entire scene was like a couple of teenagers about to be caught together, again, I would have found it funny if I wasn't so sexually frustrated.

I wrapped myself up in my floor length robe and waited for Dimitri to right himself before heading for the door. The hallway was clear but I could hear Pavel talking from the sitting room and the strong smell of coffee hanging in the air. Everyone was up and about.

We padded into the room like we had been caught red-handed as Pavel eyed the both of us up and down.

"They have eyes on Dimitri" he grunted from the couch.

So much for a 'good morning' or 'how are you'.

"What do you mean they have eyes on him?" I asked worriedly. I looked beside me to Dimitri who had a distant look on his face.

"It means Rosemarie, that someone-" Pavel began but was interrupted by Dimitri.

"-is keeping tabs on me. Right?" he questioned, "Following me around and seeing where I go?"

Pavel nodded, "They probably have someone sat out by your apartment"

"Or in" Adrian grunted while sitting down on a dining room chair with his arms crossed.

"That's ridiculous Adrian, I doubt they would-" I started but Dimitri was getting into a habit of cutting us off.

"Adrian's right _milaya_."

I looked up at him, my blood running cold at the look on his face, "The other week it felt like someone was in my apartment. I got out of there because I wasn't sure and I didn't have my gun on me. But I was pretty certain someone was hiding in there"

I was shocked. Why hadn't he told me this? Who knows what kind of information they had gathered on Dimitri this past week. Was he in danger? Was _I_ in danger now too?

"So what do we do?" I stammered out.

"Nothing. Mason doesn't know who is out there doing Stan's dirty work, but he's suspicious of only Dimitri"

"So I back off and leave operations to the boys, and while they are busy waiting for me to slip up everything continues to run smoothly in the background."

It was kind of hot watching Dimitri create plans and delegate. He was a natural born leader and despite the danger of having Stan Alto on his case, he didn't seem fazed by it at all. In the time that I had known Dimitri I had noticed that he listened more than he spoke, but on the occasions that he did speak, it was with authority and strength, the stuff people listened to.

"Is it safe for him to even keep coming to the club?" I asked Pavel.

"He needs to keep up appearances. Mason introduced him as your boyfriend and what boyfriend doesn't come and see his lady?"

"We need to keep up appearances" Dimitri grunted, "We have the upper hand now because of Mason so we need to use it"

"How do we use that advantage though Comrade? There are only so many things we can do to throw them off the trail"

Dimitri and Pavel looked at each other and shared a scowl. It was a good idea but it had holes. We couldn't lead the American Mob on a wild goose chase just to throw them off Dimitri's scent.

"Why don't you do nothing?" Sydney piped up from behind Adrian. Her voice soft and wavering as if we would snap at her for interrupting.

And I was about to snap. Not for her interrupting but for her idea. We couldn't sit back and do nothing and wait for Stan to come down on us. Stan was a nasty piece of work who seemed to irk all the guys that come over from Russia. He had been hanging around more than usual this past week and now I knew it was because of Dimitri. I opened my mouth to argue with her but Pavel interjected before I could utter a single word.

"Hold on a minute Rose," he said, holding up a hand. I scowled and crossed my arms over my chest.

"What did you have in mind?" he went on while resting his elbows on his knees and threading his fingers together.

"Well…why don't you just bore them until they give up?"

"Instead of leading them in the wrong direction, just lead them nowhere?" Dimitri muttered.

"Exactly" she sighed triumphantly, "a boring routine of sitting in the club and seeing Rose"

"Are you saying I'm boring?" I countered playfully.

Despite my playfulness, Sydney had thought up a pretty good idea. The guys that Mason worked with were notorious for getting restless and abandoning jobs. All we had to do was bore them with a mundane routine. How much fun could watching a Russian sit in a booth at a club be?

* * *

The answer was not a lot.

Later that night, when the club was opened I had noticed that some of the first patrons inside were the men that Mason worked with, but one man, in particular, made me shiver. In the past five years, I had seen almost every single Mafia figure in Chicago come through those main doors and none of them creeped me out more than Isaiah did.

He was a lackey that had no morals or restraint, and judging by the way he was staring at Dimitri from across the room, he was the one Stan had enlisted to watch him.

Throughout the night I had watched Isaiah shadow Dimitri around the club, linger near him when he went up to the bar, and attempt to listen in on his conversations with the other Bratva members. But towards the end of the night, I could see the boredom begin to take its toll on him.

He stopped watching him like a hawk and began watching the dancers instead, he hadn't even realized when Dimitri left his booth completely to come backstage. It was pathetic honestly, that he was the one they _entrusted_ to watch a potential threat.

I had been backstage, watching through the side curtain as Stan yelled at the black haired moron for losing Dimitri, when Dimitri himself came up behind me, hugging my waist from behind.

"Thought I could sneak away," he murmured into my ear. The sound of his accent and the feel of his hot breath on my neck made my entire body tingle with anticipation.

"He's looking for you now" I breathed out shakily as I gripped his hands tighter.

Dimitri peeked around me and out of the parting in the curtain to see what I had mentioned. And sure enough, Isaiah was glancing around the room nervously. If he didn't spot Dimitri soon, Stan would snap.

I laughed loudly at the scene. It was childish and so badly executed that it was just funny to me. I spun in his hands and pressed a soft kiss to lips. He reciprocated the kiss with an eager softness that made me melt in his arms.

"Rose I need your help with my corset!" Lissa yelled from her dressing table.

I still needed to get changed for the dance myself and I knew this was going to be a good one.

"Get back to your table Comrade, you aren't gonna want to miss this dance" I smirked as his eyes were still darkened with lust.

I reached up on my tippy toes and pressed another soft kiss to his lips, "Now go," I ordered, pushing him back playfully as he released his hold on me.

He sighed with a playful grin on his face. I could tell he was weighing up whether or not to disobey my instruction as he brushed his hand roughly through his hair, tugging it tightly for a second at the back of his head.

I placed my hands on my hips and cocked them to one side; he took the hint immediately and raised his palms up in surrender before disappearing through the doors that lead back into the theatre. I spun on the balls of my feet and patted over to Lissa so that I could help her tie the back of her corset before getting my own on.

Lissa, Avery, and I had been working on this performance for just under a week now. Avery had introduced us to the song and desperately wanted a chance to sing it. With Tasha's help, we were able to choreograph a sultry and teasing performance that was steamier than almost all our other ones.

The band had been set up on the main stage rather than on the section adjacent to it during the shows recess. It had been a feat to move all the instruments over and we required the help of most of the backstage crew and a couple of the Russians.

"Two minutes to curtain!" Tasha yelled out into the backstage area, inciting a mini panic behind the curtain.

Lissa and I hurried to the main stage, dodging the assorted instruments that were laid out in front of us before we came to the black grand piano center stage.

I took my place on the top board of the piano, practically sprawling out while Lissa situated herself standing next to me. Pushing her arms out against the piano and relaxing her left knee slightly, it created a perfect dip in her lower back and pushed out her rear.

"You ready kitten?" Joseph the pianist asked as he took his seat behind the keys.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I grinned back excitedly with a wink.

Arching my back into position, I took one more sparing glance at Lissa who looked as equally excited as I did before focusing back on the drawn curtain. The band began the melody softly, getting louder only as the curtains were drawn.

Showtime.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Please don't hate me for changing Adrian's nickname for Rose!_

 _I thought 'Baby Vamp' was a very worthy replacement though, both because it was used during the 1920's and the similarities it has to the original pet name (Little=Baby / Dhampir=Vamp)._

 _Now that some threats are being introduced, we have a couple more chapters of fluff before the story begins to take shape and reveal its climaxes._

 _-RCap_


	8. A Commitment

**_Author's Note:_**

 _This chapter is a few days late due to some unforeseen events popping up during the weekend, sorry for the delay!_

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I do not have any rights to the below-mentioned song._

 _This chapter is among the shorter ones, unfortunately, but there was only so much I could write for this scene before it sounded like I was droning on._

 _\- RCap_

* * *

 ** _Dimitri._**

The music began before anything else.

The sound of the trumpet and the piano caused a ghost-like hush over the men in the theatre, cutting off all conversation and stealing their attention.

As I watched the curtains rise, my heart almost beat out of my chest. There she was. Sprawled out on the hood of the grand piano, her back arched up and her arms above her head. Lissa stood on the floor next to her, her posture equally as provocative. The lights stayed dim as the crowd around me began appreciating their figures with soft cries and whistles.

I had seen her in the same corset a during one of the first nights I had attended. It was a solid white design with pearls dripping off it; the paleness of the corset an extreme standout against the tanned hues her skin possessed.

Another woman was standing on the stage, Avery I believe her name was. She stood just off center behind a microphone. The piano and its current occupants were obviously the focus for this performance and took center stage.

My right knee began to bounce in anticipation while waiting for the dance to begin. I loved watching Roza dance and in the moments before she began I found the stillness torture.

The rest of the band's instruments came to life and I watched as all three women's mouths began playing sly smiles. What were they up to? They didn't move, not until Avery began singing.

" _A guy what takes his time, I'll go for any time,_ " Avery sang into the microphone in front of her.

With a kick of her right leg, my dark-haired beauty sat up from her position and spun in a revolving whip of hair. She crouched onto her knees and swayed with the music in the background, intimately running her hands up and down her body, her movements purposely done to arouse. I hadn't taken any notice of the song that was being sung in the background until now.

" _Wouldn't give any rushing gent a smile_ "

She slid off the piano, her hand trailing over the pianist's shoulder sensuously as she descended. Once on the floor, she doubled over slowly and ran her hand up her leg before dipping it around into her inner thigh with a smug look on her face. Her hands continued upwards until they were above her and she found my eyes. I could feel the familiar coil in my stomach and the tightening in not only my pants but also my chest as she stared at me, her hips rocking suggestively in slow motion before she ran her tongue over her upper lips, which was painted a deep red.

" _A hasty job really spoils a master's touch_ "

I now understood the sly smiles before the song had begun. They were teasing to a new level. I gaped at the scene unfolding before me.

Roza and Lissa captured each other's forearms, pulling themselves flush against each other before spinning slowly while looking into other's eyes. As I stared at the girls in front of me, I couldn't stop the pang of jealousy that struck me. God help me, I was getting jealous that Lissa could hold Roza like that.

If that wasn't one of the most pathetic things I had ever admitted to, I don't know what else was.

The girls continued to dance, and in some way, every move was flawless. Their hands swaying and garments sweeping out around them as they spun.

" _Who would qualify, no alibi, to be the guy who takes his time_ "

I struggled to keep my composure. My self-control was hanging by a single thread. I glanced momentarily to my right and smirked as the black-haired bartender gaped up at the stage. Christian was absolutely lovesick on the blonde dancing with Roza, and the dance was doing similar things to both of us.

Roza had mentioned it the first night I was here and over the course of the week, you could see the puppy dog eyes that followed her every move while she wasn't looking, and then vice versa.

I returned to the stage and watched the ending of the dance. When the band ceased all music, Roza and Lissa were standing with their fingers intertwined above their heads and still flush up against each other. I could tell that I wasn't the only one affected by what was happening on the stage.

The entire theatre erupted into cheers and whistles, and yet I couldn't bring myself to stand. The other men from my table stood and clapped, but I couldn't get my legs to move. I was so stunned by what I had seen that I could only smirk.

Her eyes found mine, the brown orbs darkening as her lips pulled into a similar smirk to my own. This woman would be the death of me.

She ran off stage, Lissa in tow as the crowd continued to holler at the performance. Seeing Roza leave seemed to be the spark my body needed. I stood up with such speed that my chair scraped violently against the floorboards beneath me as it slid back. I only had one thing coursing through my mind.

Roza.

I made my way around the tables, staring at the door leading backstage with intent. I didn't care who was in my way, I was getting there.

"Dimka!" I faintly heard Ivan call from the table.

The slight distraction causing me to collide with a drunk patron, an angry one at that.

"Watch it fucker!" he bellowed looking down at the drink he spilled on his shirt.

I took a step closer to him, rage radiating off me for my change in direction. The drunk looked up with a scowl on his face, but upon seeing me tower over him, he cowered and slunk away. I could only imagine the look on my face, and I knew it wouldn't be pretty.

I watched him retreat before heading for the door again, determined for my path not to be broken once more. I flung the door open and made a beeline for Roza's dressing table, too which she was perched upon looking at me. Almost as if she knew I would come.

"Roza," I growled under my breath once I reached her, "That wasn't fair."

I snaked my arm around her waist and pulled her up to me. The small yelp she breathed out making my slacks that much tighter than before. Once she relaxed in my hold, her right leg slightly raised itself and was ready to wrap around me, where it belonged.

"Life isn't all that fair these days, Comrade," she said breathlessly.

It amazed me what this woman did to me. She brought out all the desires I had buried deep down. She made me lose control with a single glance and I wasn't ashamed of any of it. Men these days didn't like when their women had power over them, I exulted in it.

A powerful woman was all I needed to be happy, and Roza fit that perfectly. I grew up with strong women, so it was only a matter of time before I found one to settle down with. I couldn't imagine anybody else being where Roza is now. I couldn't imagine myself being with anyone else.

Roza was the endgame.

I pressed my forehead against hers and sighed, "Marry me."

The words left my mouth before I had a chance to stop them, but that didn't mean I regretted them.

"What?" she whispered, almost immediately and without hesitation.

"You heard me, Roza."

I opened my eyes to see hers wide and full of emotion, "We've known each other a week" she squeaked, "We haven't even had…sex."

She was right. We had only known each other for a week. But there was something about her that made me sure that she was the only one for me.

"We can change that last one" I smiled while tugging her slightly closer and letting my fingers dance of her bare thigh.

The playfulness of my words seemed to ease the worry in her, and she relaxed again while also letting the edges of her lips curl into a soft smile. That smile is what I lived for. The unconscious one she did, she smiled without realizing and it was so pure and so gentle.

I didn't like my chances of her saying yes to my proposal. But then again, I had said the words without thinking. Women her age already had young families as they were normally married by the age of twenty-one. Although the women that worked at the club were mostly past that age and were yet to marry. But Roza wasn't any ordinary woman, I would be damned to think she would follow ordinary customaries.

"I'm not going to marry you, Dimitri" she laughed softly, "At least not yet anyway."

I looked back up and searched her eyes for any hesitancy. But found none. Was she being genuine? She wasn't rejecting the accidental proposal, simply postponing it?

When the words had fallen from my mouth, I hadn't expected her to _actually_ consider it. And yet here she was, telling me to simply wait. I wasn't sure for how long, but I was willing to wait for years if I had to.

I brushed my lips up against hers and she wound her fingers into my untied hair. I had taken notice over the week at how she loved my hair down rather than tied back. Whenever I did have my hair tied back, she would always tug it free, no matter what we were doing.

I wasn't sure what she loved more. My hair loose or the act of letting it loose herself.

Using her grip on my hair, she pulled me closer and in for a harder kiss. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her up and off her dressing table so that she dangled in the air.

"Guys come on! Some of us a single here!" I heard one of the girls cry out in annoyance.

"You wouldn't be if you had a brain Lis" Roza laughed back.

I looked away from Roza to see Lissa scowl before turning back to her mirror.

In my haste to get backstage, I hadn't taken notice of how busy the room was around me. Dancers ran around as well as those who helped with their hair and makeup. I still hadn't been able to adjust to the way of life around me.

Women in America were becoming more sexually free as well as being able to participate in activities that they would normally be looked down on for. It was evident here as I witnessed many dancers walk or run through the dressing room in just their undergarments. Taking no notice to the men that were in the room, nor caring for that matter.

Roza laughed before placing a quaint kiss on my cheek. "One more dance and then I'm all yours" she whispered into my ear. Her breath hot against me and her lips brushing lightly against my cheekbone as she spoke.

"I'll hold you to that Roza" I breathed as I set her back down to her feet.

"Comrade, if you play your cards right, you can hold me in any way you want" she purred before placing a delicate kiss on my stunned lips.

I hadn't been expecting that response and it filled my head with all kinds of improper things that it shouldn't have. I was frozen where I stood and Roza walked around me, grazing her fingers across my chest and arm until I was out of reach.

I watched her disappear into the chaos before me, still unable to move.

* * *

The crowd began to disperse the further into the night we got. Some tables loitering even past the band packing up for the night. We usually didn't have to force the removal of these kinds of patrons, but when it got to the weary hour of three am, enough was enough.

"Club is closed, boys. Time to move on!" Adrian barked at the loitering patrons.

The remaining men in the club cleared out begrudgingly. Stumbling and grumbling as they made their way towards the stairs that lead back up to the street above.

"At least compose yourself fellas" Abe grunted while walking past the men, looking down at them disapprovingly, "We don't need coppers seeing drunks stumbling outta here."

The men nodded like they had been scolded and began ascending the stairs at a quicker rate. There were still a few of us remaining in the club, waiting for our women, or for the departing drinks. I had noticed it was a tradition of sorts.

Saturday night marked the end of a working week. Tomorrow night would be a fresh start, but they saw out the week with a toast of sorts. Everyone gathered in the theatre holding their coats and hats as we waited for everyone to assemble. A toast would be announced, and everyone would throw back a shot of whatever was on offer.

I watched from one of the tables as Roza rummaged behind the bar. The sounds of glass bottles hitting each other filling the almost empty club.

"Ah ha!" she cried, "Found it"

I smiled as her head popped back up from underneath the bar, a brilliant smile on her face and a bottle of amber liquid in her hands. She moved around the bar and Adrian placed an assortment of glasses on the table, before filling them all with a shots worth of liquid from the unlabeled bottle.

As the other dancers emerged from backstage, Roza took her place on my lap and the group discussed the week they had had while laughing. This place really was like a family. They all got along without issue.

Once Abe and Pavel made their toasts and the glasses were emptied they made their escape. Grabbing their coats and heading home. Most of the others were quick to follow their bosses, but others like Roza and her _entourage_ preferred to end the week with a bit more of a bang.

Cigarette smoke was thick in the air and the smell of booze oh so ever present as we saw off the week in our own way. I wrapped my arms around Roza's waist and nuzzled into her neck as she took a shot of vodka. I must have startled her slightly, as a small stream of the poison missed her mouth and made a track down her neck.

I let my tongue lap up the wetness as I breathed in the sweet smell of her perfume mixed with the small tang of the vodka. I continued to nuzzle and press soft kisses to the flesh before she interrupted me.

"Comrade take a look at that" she hushed.

I looked up from her neck and followed her gaze to the other side of the table, where a certain blonde was batting her eyelashes. Lissa and Christian.

"What have we got here?" I whispered into her ear as her focus was on the couple opposite us.

"I think sparky grew some balls" she grinned before turning her torso to face me, "Finally."

"You're a matchmaker, _milaya_ " I chuckled before trailing kisses along her jaw.

Before long, you could count the number of people in the club on one hand. Adrian had already taken Sydney home, so that left me to escort Roza and Lissa back to the apartment. However, I had another idea in mind.

Christian got up from his seat and collected the final few glasses remaining. Heading to the bar, I watched as he looked back cautiously at Lissa. I could almost feel the nervousness seeping out from him. I lifted Roza off my lap and placed her on the chair, she didn't break conversation with Lissa for a second, and I followed Christian.

"Walk her home" I suggested once I was within hearing distance.

"What?" he muttered, looking up from the glass storage.

"Ask Lissa if she would like to be walked home" I sighed, taking a seat in one of the many barstools.

"You usually walk them home but" he grumbled, a hint of envy lacing his words.

"That's true, but I'll hold Roza and me back."

"How are you gonna do that?" he snarked, pulling his hand roughly through his dark hair.

I hesitated before answering, I knew what my strategy would be, but I wasn't so sure he would appreciate the answer.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to" I smirked.

His scowl turned into a look of understanding and then soon after, disgust.

"Gross man!" he snapped, "I don't care _what_ you do, just don't do it on the bar." His eyes were stern as if he was laying down a law, a law I was now going to break no matter what.

"Get your Princess home, Ozera" I threatened playfully. Even though my voice portrayed that I was calm and collected, on the inside I was ready to shove them out myself.

Christian rolled his eyes and began muttering under his breath, "Damn fucking Russians."

I spun around in the stool and leaned my back against the bar, watching Christian nervously approach Lissa. Just like Roza had told him previously, her face lit up when he asked if he could walk her home. I caught the eyes of a smug Roza as she watched the pair get up to leave.

" _Help her with her coat_ " she hissed at Christian before watching him scramble to get the coat before Lissa even had a chance.

The girls kissed each other on the cheek before watching the couple depart. I stayed leaning back in my stool, watching Roza as she discarded her empty cardboard deck. She looked at me with an impatient expression, most likely brought on by the absence of any cigarettes.

I sighed before heaving myself to my feet and strolling over to her. Kneeling on one knee before her, I took the cigarette that was resting behind my ear and put it between her waiting lips. Despite my kneeling, she still looked up at me with her doe eyes, the orbs searching my soul during such an innocent move.

I reached into my back pocket and produced my lighter, clicking the flame alive and lighting the end of the paper. As she breathed in, the glow became brighter and more alive, much like my arousal was.

She took the cigarette between her fingers and brought it away from her lips, only for her to lean in close and blow the smoke slowly towards me. I inhaled the second-hand smoke eagerly and much to her delight. We were only a breath away from each other, heat radiating between us as we waited for the other one to make a move. I exhaled the smoke, feeling it exit through not only my lips but my nose. She stared back at me with hungry eyes but refused to give in.

I was done waiting, however. Leaning in, I went to capture her lips but was met with thin air.

Roza spun in her chair and got up before taking a few steps back. The cigarette still in her fingers beside her as she quite obviously toyed with me.

"I trust that you aren't planning on taking me home yet, Comrade?" she teased as she walked away from me. Criss-crossing her legs delicately while placing her hands behind her back.

If it was a chase she wanted, it was chase she would get.

"You would be correct" I growled under my breath while I tucked the vacated chair back underneath the table, marking the beginning of my pursuit.

I followed a few steps behind as she maneuvered between the tables, taking different routes, and looking back occasionally to make sure I was still following.

I followed her until we were away from the tables and in the open area of the bar. She leaned over momentarily to butt the cigarette out and I took the opening. Closing the distance between us and wrapping my arms around her waist from behind.

She let out a surprised yelp before letting it follow with a loud laugh. The beautiful sound filled my ears and brought me a sense of peace.

She spun herself around to face me and weaved her arms behind my neck, using them to hoist her up slightly. She brought her lips to mine aggressively, and I returned it diligently. Kissing her with equal force as she had and pushed her back into the bar.

I trailed my hands further down her waist and then down the backs of her thighs. She had already hitched one leg partially around my waist when she had spun herself, but I wanted both around me.

I held onto the toned muscle and pulled upwards so that she sat on the bar behind her. Her dress fanned out and allowed my hands to find solace against her naked flesh. I gripped the warmth tightly and received a moan of desperation in response.

I tore my lips from her and leaned back slightly, taking in her gorgeous form. Her long hair was tousled, and lips were swollen from the aggressive kissing. Her chest heaved like she had just finished a fast-paced dance and her breath was ragged. I let my eyes survey the rest of her, lingering on the fabric of her dress that separated us.

I brought my fingers to the buttons than lined down the center of her dress and popped each one open slowly and carefully. With each button being released, I was shown more and more of her beautiful body.

There was nothing more enticing than her naked form. She may wear daring outfits that pushed the boundaries of what was socially acceptable during her performances, but I knew that I was the only one that got to see everything. Every dip and valley of her body, every silver slither of a stretch mark that was bestowed on her as well as every freckle that reached other places than her cheeks.

She was perfection.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Sorry all!_

 _I couldn't help myself, and while Rose may be finally getting some, you guys aren't until next week. However, if you can guess the song that was used at the beginning I'll send you a sneak peek of what's to come._

 _The song is younger than the setting, but I really wanted to include it in the story. So, for the purpose of this story, the song is older than its original release date._

 _-RCap_


	9. A Prayer

**_Author's Note:_**

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _Mature scenes below._

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

I moaned softly as I arched my body closer to him. The hand that had wrapped around my waist pulled me closer as its partner began running over the fabric of my dress.

I knew that with Lissa and Christian leaving, we were the only ones left in the club.

No interruptions this time. None.

Dimitri took my hint immediately, backing me up so that I was leant up against the wooden bar. Soon after, gripping the backs of my thighs he hoisted me up so that I was half sitting on the edge of the bar. I let my legs wrap around his waist, and the heels of my feet dig into him, pulling him closer to me.

He released my lips and whispered to himself in Russian as his eyes followed the path of his hands had made.

He brought his hands up to the top of my dress and began unbuttoning the clasps that ran all the way down. He took his time in the task, letting the buttons slowly unveil me like it was the first time he had seen me naked.

He peeled the open dress over my shoulder and off my body and groaned in appreciation of the sight before him.

There was something different about the way he was looking at me. His eyes weren't just filled with lust; I could see the underlying love in them.

I didn't feel uncomfortable under his gaze. If anything, I felt empowered. He looked at me like I was the only woman he had ever looked upon. Like I was a goddess in his eyes.

I had preempted the events of tonight and purposely avoided dressing in underwear. So, when he removed my dress, he left me sitting on the bar in front of him naked except for my heels. After his eyes had done a longing sweep over me, he returned his hands to my flesh and ran them over my ribs and stomach, breasts and neck. Touching as much skin as he could and as if his life depended on it.

I slowly undid each button of his dress shirt. I was well aware that I could have made the task faster, but after him torturing me with removing my own clothing, I was more than willing to return the favor. Plus, after I had seen his face during the performance, I had to drag it out a little longer.

"Roza" he growled impatiently as I ran my hands over the skin of his chest before dipping my hands under the collar and removing the shirt completely.

I wanted to be able to appreciate the impressive dips and curves that his chest and stomach possessed, but Dimitri was more interested in having his mouth on me. He wrapped an arm around my waist and brought his mouth down to my right nipple.

I involuntarily threw my head back in the sheer pleasure the act caused, releasing a low moan that had been gathering in my throat for a while now. The feeling of his lips and teeth was intoxicating against my skin. Dimitri's touch was like an addictive drug, I didn't just want him to touch me, I _needed_ him to.

The bar was at a perfect height for us and as he was occupied with my breasts, I began to tug at the belt around his hips while still using the heels of my feet to pull him closer to me. Once the belt was out of the way I began fumbling impatiently with the button and zipper of his slacks.

"Relax, _milaya,_ " Dimitri purred as he lifted his head from my breasts and crushed his lips back to mine.

The kiss took all my breath away and made my mind go blank, the only thing that coursed through my thoughts was his name. I felt him trace my bottom lip with his tongue, asking for entrance and I gladly opened my mouth to him. He brought his hand up to cup the nape of my neck and pulled me tighter against him to deepen the kiss. With his slacks forgotten, I brought my hands up to tangle in his loose locks and participated willingly as our mouths fought in a battle of dominance, one that neither of us was willing to lose in.

Not breaking the breathtaking kiss, Dimitri laid my back on the bar below me and began running a teasing finger along my inner thigh. I bucked my hips into him, wanting him to stop teasing and start touching me. I don't know how long I had until I burst.

He smiled against my lips and dragged them away so he could see me clearly. I was about to question his stillness until I felt the pressure against my core. He had only placed a single finger on me and already I was writhing in pleasure. He took my soft whimper and turned it into a low moan. His single finger turning into two as he pushed into me.

He knew as well as I did that I was wet and waiting for him, there was no foreplay needed in this situation. But he seemed to enjoy dragging it out for me.

He curled his fingers to reach my most sensitive area, which he immediately found and chuckled huskily as I felt my eyes roll back into my head. He was milking me for every last drop I had in me.

Almost within seconds, I could sense the familiar coil in my stomach and feel my toes curling in my heels. My low moans were shortly becoming cries as he not only pleasured me with his fingers but also left bruising kisses on my breasts.

I suspected as much that I would have several love bites after Dimitri was through with me.

As I felt my climax come crashing into me, my moans picked up but before I could let the warm feeling wash over me completely, I felt him being ripped away from me.

I picked myself up onto my elbows to see what had caused the interruption. However, I didn't make it all the way up though before I felt Dimitri grip behind my knees, pushing my legs further apart while also pulling me closer to him.

He came crashing into me and I let out a scream that was halfway between pleasure and pain. He filled me with an almost uncomfortable fullness but within seconds, the line that separated the two feelings blurred and he began thrusting into me.

He snaked an arm around my waist, giving him the ability to pull me up from my lounging position and come face to face with him.

"You are mine," he growled as he thrust into me with such force that was almost brutal.

"Yours" I moaned without a second thought as I took the abuse. I brought my lips to him and he returned the kiss with as much force as other parts of him were.

I threaded my fingers through his hair, gripping the strands tightly to steady myself.

His hands gripped my hips tightly as he rocked against me and urged me to release my pent up orgasm. As the waves of pleasure began pulsing through my body, I was unable to kiss him back. I moaned low and parted my lips as he trailed his mouth to devour my neck as I came.

My body shivered with pleasure as he continued to ride out my orgasm. Once he was content that I had been satisfied, Dimitri softly pushed me downwards so I was lying on my back again. He hadn't stopped his pace, simply slowed it while I came down from my high. But as his hands moved upwards to get a better grip on me, I knew I had a wild ride coming.

With a single powerful stroke, I felt ready to come all over again. He didn't relent though, if anything, he was encouraged by my louder moans. I slid easily back and forth due to my dress underneath me and I could see the outrageous movements of my breasts in my peripheral vision. I couldn't be distracted though, it didn't matter how much pleasure he was bringing me, I wanted to see him.

I looked up just in time. Just in time to see his body shudder and his fingers dig in tightly where he gripped my waist. I smirked as I watched this smug, confident gangster lose control between my thighs.

It was a sight I would not forget any time soon, nor one I wanted to.

* * *

 ** _THREE WEEKS LATER._**

The next few weeks went on without issue.

Dimitri and I easily slipped into the normalcy of our new schedules. We spent the majority of our time at the club if not at our apartments, and while on my nights off we did the kinds of things that couples would do.

It was the happiest I had been since moving to America, and mornings like this were quickly becoming my favourite experience.

I lay with my head resting on his bare chest, feeling the steady rise and fall as he breathed. My hands were folded on top of each other under my head, the steady beating of his heart flowed through my fingers and reverberated in my ears. It was like heaven.

The unusual brightness of the winter morning filled the space of my bedroom, leaving a warming and golden glow that was both comfortable and beautiful.

I never felt that absence of his hands drawing patterns on my naked back. His fingers would dance across my skin, never pausing or losing track. I turned my head so that I looked up at him and found him already watching me.

His right arm was tucked underneath his head as he smiled down at me and I couldn't stop my gaze from flicking quickly to the bulging bicep that was adorned with a passage written in Cyrillic.

The intricate design didn't look like it was had been done in a prison, and the detail put into the scripture was borderline breathtaking.

I lifted a hand out from underneath my head and began to trace the paragraph, Dimitri's gaze followed my fingers and let out a shaky breath as I touched it. I could see the skin begin to pucker and the hairs on his arm stand on end. The fact that a single touch from me elicited such a reaction made me smile. I had as much control over him as he did with me.

"What does this say?" I breathed as I continued to glide my fingers over the tattooed skin.

"It's a prayer. It reads, _O God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have never done anything good in Thy sight; deliver me from the evil one, and may Thy will be in me, that I may open my unworthy mouth without condemnation, and praise Thy holy Name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen."_

I was too stunned to speak at his reading. The words sounded beautiful coming out of his mouth and I would never have thought of Dimitri being a man of God.

"I wasn't aware that you were religious," I said cautiously.

Dimitri smiled softly before continuing, "I'm not in the strictest sense, but there are certain prayers that I hold close to me. Like this one." He grazed his fingers over the scripture much like I had, and I noticed a pained expression flash across his eyes, but as soon as I had seen it, it was gone again.

"I got this prayer tattooed because of my involvement in the Bratva. I've done some bad things in my life, but in the end, I don't like to think that I'm a bad person. I hope that if there _is_ a God watching over us, that he will understand my reasoning and have mercy on me."

I stayed silent while he spoke, listening to his words and letting my mind process them. I knew already that he would have a dark past that would most likely come with some traumatic memories, but I didn't care, because even though I didn't know what he had done, he was still gentle and kind. He cared more than he wanted to show he did because that just the kind of person he was.

He wasn't evil.

I didn't know if I wanted to tell him that I knew what some of the more recognizable tattoos were about. I knew that he received a rose on his breastbone for turning eighteen in prison as well as a few others, but the one that caught my interest, was the executioner on his side.

I had never seen that one before and over the years, I had seen countless Bratva tattoos. The more open men that had been in Dimitri's position and in his command would talk endlessly about the tattoos and the stories behind them, not all of them happy stories.

But I had never seen this one before and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in it. I _wanted_ to know the story behind this one, even though my gut was screaming that I wouldn't like it. It was an executioner for gods-sake.

"What does this one mean?" I whispered, trailing my fingers over the design, and feeling the curve of his ribcage under my touch.

With my head on his chest, I could feel the sudden rise in his heartbeat and I wanted to yell at myself for bringing up something he may not even want to talk about.

"Y-you don't have to tell me if you don't want to" I quickly recovered, trying to make him feel more at ease.

I lifted my head from his chest so that I hovered slightly above him, "I'll love you either way."

I brought my lips down to his for a soft kiss, and as I pulled away I could feel his own lips chase mine while the arm that had been tracing invisible shapes on my back kept me against him.

After several seconds, he released me from the breathless kiss and I returned my head to its place on his chest.

"If you really want to know…I'll tell you" he breathed.

I tried to hide the rush of excitement that pulsed through me. I wanted to know more about who he was and what his life was like before coming to Chicago, but I didn't want him thinking I was prying.

I nodded quickly, and a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. I placed my hands on his chest and under my chin, gazing up at him while he began his story. He took a deep breath and then delved straight in.

"My father wasn't a good man…" _Uh oh,_ "he would regularly beat my mother and sisters during a drunken rage or even just because he felt like it, and when they weren't able to handle it anymore, he would take a shot at me."

"I could take the hits better than my family, and when I realized this, I would go out of my way to have his attention during these moments. Rather me than them."

I nodded while searching his eyes, there was a pain in them but there was also something missing. I felt as if there should be a waiver in his voice as he talked about the violence, but he was right to the point and his voice didn't quiver once.

"When I was thirteen…he attempted to kill my mother."

I heard a gasp in the room, quickly realizing that it came from my own mouth. I placed a hand over my lips to silence any other sounds that would come up, I didn't want to interrupt his story.

"I still remember hearing his disturbed laughing beneath the floorboards. My sisters and I were upstairs and could hear it as if he was directly in front of us. When I ran downstairs I found mama is a puddle of her own blood. I thought she was dead and I went into a hazed rage"

I tensed slightly as he paused before reaching the climax of his story, this was what my gut had been warning me about.

"At thirteen I was already taller than my father and stronger even."

"Please tell me you hit him" I whispered while completely immersed in the story.

"I did…but I didn't stop."

There was no remorse, that's what had been missing. He didn't feel guilty for what he had done, and I didn't blame him. He grew up in a household of violence, it would have only been a matter of time before he snapped.

"The hooded executioner is a symbol for one who had murdered a family member. I beat my father to death that night and I spent eleven years in prison for it. Even in death, he was able to take more of my life from me."

He turned his head towards the window and sighed deeply. None of what he had told me had scared me off nor changed my opinion on him. He didn't want to admit it to me, but I could see he saw this tattoo as a badge of honor. One that he earned for protecting his family from the fox in his home.

I shifted so that I straddled his waist and let the sheet drop from around me. It left me completely exposed to him, but I didn't care. He turned to gaze at me, the look of love in his eyes making me feel bold.

"You are one of a kind Dimitri Belikov," I breathed as I combed my fingers through his hair. He relaxed into my touch and gripped my hips with his large hands, a sigh of content fell from his lips as he brushed his thumbs over the slightly protruding hip bones.

He pulled himself into a sitting position and I couldn't help but marvel at the way his abdominal muscles contracted and tensed with the action. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him, I hovered slightly higher than him and he reached up to kiss the corner of my mouth, before beginning to trail them down my jaw and to my neck.

"I hope that I haven't scared you off, Roza" he mumbled into the kisses.

"Never" I breathed. He pulled back for a second and searched my eyes for hesitancy, but when he found that I was telling the truth he brought our lips together.

The fact that we were both still naked hadn't eluded me, and I was beginning to feel the urge in me that hadn't seemed to be sated since I gave myself to him that night in the club. I always wanted more, and he continued doing so. I could feel him up against my thigh, ready for whatever I had in store for him.

I ground my hips into him and reached between us so that I could position him at my entrance. The throaty growl that escaped him only seemed to urge me on further and I found myself restless at the current lull. I shifted and slowly lowered myself onto him, moaning erotically as I felt him stretch and fill me.

I pushed his chest back so that he fell into the mattress below and braced my hands against him. He grinned up at me like he was the Cheshire cat and ran his palms over the tops of my thighs roughly.

Dimitri had quickly found the balance between my love for slightly rougher sex while also making it meaningful and passionate. It was a balance that the few other men I had shared myself with, hadn't found.

I lifted my hips and brought them back down onto him slowly, the pace torturing both of us but I loved to see him lose control under me. I grinned as he pushed his head back into the pillow and squeezed my thighs tightly.

I continued the torturous pace as I watched his control be chipped away. The moment he would finally give in is what drove me crazy.

I lowered myself so that my chest brushed against his as I moved, the new positioning helping him reach more pleasurable places and I could stop myself from moaning softly in his ear.

I could feel the rumbling in his chest as he fought his final string of control, and then it snapped.

The hands that had been gripping my thighs moved to my rear. He held onto me with almost bruising strength and brought me harder and faster down onto him. He bucked his hips, matching the new pace he had created, and I soon fell into a pool of newfound pleasure.

I kept moaning in his ear as he breathed raggedly in my own, groans escaping him every so often as he brought our bodies together.

I cried out his name as I came undone, and he joined me soon after. His body shivering and pulsing as he climaxed with me. It was a powerful feeling seeing him lose control.

I collapsed onto his chest, both of us covered in a thin film of sweat as we panted, trying to catch our breaths.

"Wow" I breathed, unable to formulate any other words.

"Yeah," he said between pants.

We lay like that for a few minutes until we could bring ourselves to part with one another. I slid off him and laid on my side, tracing his tattoos with my finger while in my own little world.

"I reckon we were cursed" I muttered looking up at Dimitri.

I was pleasantly surprised by the loud and raw laugh that erupted from him. He didn't laugh so naturally often and when he did it filled me with warmth.

"What makes you say that Roza?" he eventually managed to say.

"Think about it, Comrade" I propped myself up onto my elbows and smiled winningly at him, "Since _that_ night in the club we haven't had any interruptions. Not one! But before that, we couldn't catch a break. We were cursed and _doing the deed_ broke the curse."

He shook his head and continued to laugh, "I guess you're right, _milaya_."

I rolled off my elbows and off the bed, landing on the floorboards and reached for my robe. I couldn't stop smiling to myself and when I heard the bedsprings creak with movement, my smile broadened.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dimitri growled playfully as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me onto his lap.

I laughed and untangled myself from his grasp so I could turn around, "I'm going to have a shower," I took a tiny step back from him sitting on the edge of my bed, "care to join me?" I added seductively.

His eyes darkened with lust and I'll have to admit, the thought of us both under the warm water at the same time was doing things to my own inhibitions.

"I'd love to," he said breathlessly as he reached out and pulled on the tie that kept my robe closed, causing the material to fan out and create a very appealing viewing window.

I smiled warmly upon watching him scramble to find his underwear and began walking out of the room, I had only gone a few steps before I could hear him hot on my heels.

* * *

Walking out of my apartment building at lunchtime, we spotted Isaiah, as usual, trying to blend in but failing miserably. If anything, the way he leant up against the building on the opposite side of the street just looked idiotic. As if he thought we wouldn't notice him every time we left a building.

We ducked into the nearest bakery on route to Dimitri's place, picking up some lunch for the Russians that would be waiting eagerly for us.

Grasping the paper bag full of bread and assorted pastries tightly, we began the ten-minute walk to Dimitri's place. His apartment wasn't in the bad part of town, but at the same time, it was in the ritzy area like mine was.

That was probably exactly why Isaiah didn't blend in while in my area, he just didn't look like he belonged there. Whereas we had a harder time finding him when we left Dimitri's, he was able to become part of the scenery there.

Dimitri walked up to the door of his apartment and rummaged through his duster's pockets for his key. While waiting, I balanced the paper bag on one side and smoothed out my dress' hemline.

Looking back up though, I spotted something I hadn't seen before.

"What the fuck is that?" I gasped as I looked behind Dimitri.

Something was carved into the door to his apartment. A symbol or something. I took a few steps towards the door, my feet moving before my mind knew what to do. I reached out and let my fingers trace the pattern. It had been carved roughly, most likely with a shiv.

The design looked familiar. I had seen it somewhere before, I just couldn't place where. It looked like some sort of demonic cross. The vertical groove was crossed with two level lines and based on the figure eight.

"It's a satanic symbol" I heard Dimitri mutter under his breath. I ripped my hand away from the door as if it had burnt me.

Satanic symbol?!

I heard the floorboards creak behind me and soon enough, Dimitri was close enough to me that I could feel the heat radiating from his chest as well as his increasing heartbeat. He was worried.

"Why would someone carve this into your door?" I asked, turning my head slightly around and up to look up at him.

His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. His hand rose slowly and traced the lines as I had moments before. "I have no clue. Isaiah, maybe?"

"Isaiah is a goon…not a Satanist, Dimitri. If it is him, he's just trying to scare us into making a mistake."

Dimitri didn't answer, he only continued to caress the carvings as if they held answers.

Someone was coming after us. Whether it was Isaiah or someone else, I wasn't sure. But they were starting small and it was only self-evident that it would get worse.

Dimitri unlocked the door with a bit more grunt this time, swinging it open and quickly herding me inside.

"Dimka!" Ivan yelled happily, "Thank god you're back, I thought we were gonna starve here."

"Your welcome" I grunted while placing the bag on their kitchen table and swiping the only doughnut we bought. No way was I going to let the boys get that.

"Good to see you, _sestra_." Ivan laughed before placing a kiss on my cheek and then turning to rummage through the bag.

Ivan had picked the nickname for me a couple of weeks ago. It's him literally calling me his sister because of my relationship with his best friend. He saw me as a sister now. Any confusion I had for the nickname quickly faded when I found out the translation, and I found that I quite liked the name.

"Any reason why our door had been defiled, Ivan?" Dimitri commented from the kitchen.

"No clue," he huffed while relaxing into the couch, "Was like that when we woke up. Someone must have done it last night."

I grimaced at the thought. Someone had been hanging around their apartment while they were all sleeping, what was stopping them from doing the same in my building? Absolutely nothing.

"Although, some well dressed blonde fucker has been hanging around" Anton added once he joined us, "Saw him this morning when Tasha was leaving."

I ignored the fact that Tasha had been here for another time but delved into the blonde stranger. I took a seat on the couch slowly before speaking.

"What do you mean 'hanging around'?" I asked Anton nervously.

He shrugged while taking a bite out of his pastry, "Similar to that Isaac kid I guess. Just looking."

"His name is Isaiah" Dimitri grunted, joining us in the loungeroom.

He handed me a mug and I almost moaned at the smell of the freshly brewed coffee. He took the seat next to me with his own mug and relaxed into the soft cushions.

"Is it possible that they would be working together?"

I thought back to every blonde male that I had seen around Isaiah. Concentrating as my mind sifted through the different men until I clicked on an important detail. Where I had seen that symbol before.

"His name is Nathan," I thought aloud. The conversation around me ceased and all three of the men turned to face me.

"Who?" Ivan asked.

"Nathan. He's one of Stan's guys"

"Are you sure it's him, Roza? We can't be making identity mistakes?"

"I'm sure. He has _that_ tattooed on his neck" I spat while pointing at the door.

The fear hit me like a ton of bricks. It was like being locked in a cage and having all viable exits cut off from you. If Nathan was terrorizing us now, it was an entirely different game than before.


	10. An Execution

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi Readers! An early update!_

 _As always, thank you so so much for all your reviews. I'm always so happy to see the notification come up! Welcome to all my new followers/favourites, I hope you are all enjoying the story as you have come in at the beginning of the good part (if you can catch my drift here)._

 _Please continue to review and leave your comments, I hit 100 reviews finally so thank you for all your kind words and reviews xx_

 _I hate to admit it but there is a fair amount of dialogue in this chapter. I hope you still enjoy it nevertheless._

 _-RCap  
_

* * *

 ** _Dimitri._**

 _"_ I'm sure. He has _that_ tattooed on his neck" Roza spat, disgust lacing her words.

There was a deafening silence around us. No one dared to say a word in case they were the wrong ones. We all waited to see if Roza would continue with her explanation. But nothing was yet to come.

She simply stared at the closed door, the archaic symbol not even visible anymore, and yet still occupying her vision. I looked over to Ivan and Anton who had equally confused expressions plastered on their faces.

 _Who is Nathan?_

I didn't realize that I had spoken my thought until she addressed them. "He's been at the club the past few weeks," she sighed, "I'll point him out tonight if he's around."

The wariness in her voice was making my blood boil. She quite obviously despised this man and whatever he was capable of. What had this Nathan done previously that could warrant such a reaction?

She didn't tear her gaze away from the closed front door, not even when she took small sips from her mug in her hands.

I was becoming worried about her. The past month had been all over the place, the only constant being us. She had handled the story of my father's death better than I could have hoped for. I was petrified that she would have turned against me, called me a murderer, and never wanted to see me again.

However, I got the complete opposite reaction. She seemed to warm up to me even more as if my crime had brought her a sense of security. At first, I hadn't been able to see a reason for it. But now, as she unconsciously gravitated her body towards mine, I knew the reason. She felt safer with me. She knew I could and _would_ protect her if it came to it. Just like I had protected my family from my father.

"Maybe we should talk to Mason?" I suggested in a soft voice, "He might know if Stan has got more of his men following me?"

For the first time in five minutes, Roza tore her eyes from the door and looked up at me. I was almost blown back by the look in her eyes, there was fear there. Real fear. She did a good job of trying to cover it up, trying to disguise it as abhorrence but I could see through those cracks, even if she thought she was getting away with it.

Her brown eyes swarmed with the underlying fear of what was to come. I'd be damned if I brushed off this Nathan character, especially after seeing a reaction as extended as Roza's. No, I wouldn't dismiss her fears, at least not until I knew more about him and what he was capable of.

She nodded slowly. I could see the thoughts processing through her head. My words making more sense to her as she came back to herself. I didn't like seeing the look of pure fear on her face, but I would do anything and everything to make sure it stayed off.

"We can talk to him tonight at the club" she mumbled out.

She stood up from the couch and quickly made a beeline for the kitchen, taking her empty mug with her. Ivan and Anton exchanged worried glances and it confirmed that I wasn't the only one that was seeing how distressed she _actually_ was.

"I'll be back in a sec," I told the boys before extraditing myself from the couch, following her into the detached kitchen.

She was leaning up against the basin. Her hands bracing her body against the ceramic as she took deep and heavy breaths. Most likely to calm herself. I stood back and watched her for a few quiet moments, allowing her to collect her bearings and relax herself. I could see the stoic nature of her frame take over her. She was trying very hard not to break down.

"Roza…" I whispered, loud enough to make my presence known but soft enough to ensure I didn't scare her.

"Yeah?" she whispered back, her voice croaky and barely audible.

I took a deep breath myself before continuing. Her reaction to Nathan isn't something that would be brought on by nothing. I needed to know why she was so scared.

"What is it about Nathan that makes him so dangerous?"

It took several seconds, but she eventually turned around to face me. She leant her back up against the sink and wrapped her arms around her chest and stomach like she was cocooning herself.

"Isaiah is nothing compared to Nathan. Nathan is borderline sadistic. He picks his favourite and then terrorizes them into submission"

"What do you mean favourite?"

"It used to be Lissa. He was _obsessed_ with her. He would follow her around the club dutifully. At first, Lissa thought it was cute and kind of nice to have someone dote over her but he got sick of her not giving in."

I stayed quiet as she explained, nursing my still half-full coffee mug that had long since gone cold. I didn't like where this story was heading.

"He followed us to the apartment one night and broke in. Lissa had some _company_ that night and he was so angry that he wasn't the one she brought home that he…" she paused, taking a deep breath and shakily letting it out, "that he shot the poor guy while they were sleeping."

I couldn't stand seeing her like this and closed the distance between us, giving me the ability to wrap my arms around her and bring her into a protective hug.

"I think the entire floor was woken up 'cause of that shot. Lissa was screaming and I tore into the room. But as soon as I opened the door he turned the gun on me and fired it. He didn't even look at me to see who he was shooting. I was just a nuisance to him."

I leaned out of the hug and let my hold on her help me try to find the scar of a bullet. She moved my hand off her upper arm and pulled up the sleeve of her dress. Showing me the milky white abrasion that marred the tanned skin. How hadn't I see that before? I had become more than acquainted with every inch of her body this past month, and yet I hadn't seen the graze.

"It only scraped me but I was brought down by it. He thought I was dead…" she laughed humourlessly at the sentence before continuing, "The racket woke up the guys that used to live in the apartment next to us. They stormed in and scared him off I guess. Five guys to one is significantly more intimating than two girls."

I pulled her back into my arms and flush against my chest. Whispering sweet nothings into her ear as she tried to hold back any tears. If she feared what he would do to her, I needed to ensure that I was there to protect her. No matter what.

"Seeing Aaron – the guy Lissa was with – just lying there was one of the most horrible things I have ever seen. It was only a few days after that we realized we couldn't live in that apartment anymore. Baba found an apartment closer to the club, the one we are in now, and Sydney moved in with us as well."

Safety in numbers was the goal then, the possibility that by having another person around would help. It was a good plan, one that I enforced in my own residence, but unfortunately, in a woman's case, it only made for a better selection for predators.

I wasn't going to tell her that though. I wasn't going to diminish one of the only securities she felt she had. If she felt at risk, it would only make her worse.

"A couple of the muscles from the club live on the same floor as us…Baba's idea again, just in case I guess."

It was smart but the one thing I couldn't shake was how Nathan was still alive. He had shot at Abe Mazur's daughter and yet he still lived? What this man elusive enough to evade Abe or was he just lucky that he hasn't been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

* * *

We stayed in the confines of the apartment for the rest of the day. Not wanting to leave and have to see the men following us. Blissful ignorance, even if it was falsified.

Before leaving the apartment for the night, I ensured that I had my gun with me as well as the silver push dagger I owned. I wasn't normally someone who toted a gun, I preferred the knife as well as my fists, but not everyone was like me and this Nathan character seemed to favor guns.

I couldn't go up against a gun with a knife, not if I was serious about protecting Roza.

We weighed up the risks and decided to get a yellow cab back to her apartment. It would be more expensive but I didn't want to be walking the streets with our tails following us.

When the cab pulled up at her apartment she ran upstairs and gathered up all her things for the night, leaving me waiting in the cab. Within a couple of minutes, she returned to the waiting cabbie.

It was a good thing we did end up getting a cab as soon as she got back into the cab, the rain began.

It wasn't just a light drizzle. No, this was a full downpour. The sound of the rain hitting the roof of the cab was deafening and I could barely see the roads anymore outside of the window.

The club wasn't open yet, the only sounds present was the band prepping their instruments as well as Adrian and Christian setting up the bar. Heading backstage into the war zone was a different story; it was quite obvious that we were some of the last 'personnel' to arrive for the night.

You could hear the rain pounding onto the tin roof above like hail even over the loud chatter of the women. I could faintly hear that a record player was on somewhere in the background, but that was also being drowned out significantly by the harsh rain.

I spotted the redhead we were looking for straight away. Grabbing Roza's hand, I began pulling her past all the dancers and towards where he seemed to be chatting up one of the blonde dancers.

"Mason!" she yelled out once we were close enough.

His head shot up at the sound of her voice. His attention easily being drawn away from the blonde and it was obvious that was purely due to who owned the voice. I doubt he would have been as eager to tear himself away if I had been the one to call out to him.

"We need to talk," I said walking up to Mason.

Mason immediately straightened out when he took notice of me. It was something I had noticed that he was doing regularly. If I was around his entire posture changed, as did his attitude.

His gaze switched between us as we approached him, "About what?" he asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes for a microsecond.

"What has Stan been up to?" Roza questioned, a bit more forcibly than I think she meant to.

Mason gaped, his mouth opening as if he wanted to speak but didn't know what to say. I could see the confusion in his eyes and then the sudden fear when he looked behind Roza.

"Rose! Where the hell have you been?" Lissa screeched from a few meters back.

I could see Roza visibly wince beside me before she was pulled from my grip and towards her dressing table.

"Deal with it" Roza pointed at me while glaring at the two of us.

Within seconds, Lissa had dragged her into the chaos of the dressing room and she disappeared from sight.

I looked back to Mason with an accidental sneer before turning and heading for Abe's office, "Let's go find Abe."

"O-Okay" he stuttered before jogging to catch up with me.

I caught the eye of Ivan on the other side of the room, ushering him with a single look for him to join us. He didn't question the action but when his eyes flicked to Mason, I knew that he would know exactly what was going on.

"What can I do for you men?" Abe grumbled without looking up from the papers strewn on his desk.

"We more wanted to have a discussion with Mason…with you present" I answered strongly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ivan slump into the leather couch and relax next to Pavel who was looking over what seemed to be the books. In true Ivan nature, he began peering over Pavel's shoulder, visibly annoying the co-owner of the club. It always amazed me how everyone carried on with their work even with a mess being shoved under their noses.

"Go ahead then, Dimitri," Abe sighed, almost as if he was bored with our interruption. I had a feeling though when he heard my next words he would be more interested.

"Why is Stan upping the men he has following me?"

"What?" Mason asked, a look of confusion flowing onto his face as I spoke.

"We have seen someone hanging around our residences. Roza identified him as a man named Nathan."

Everything in the room stopped.

Mason's eyes went wide and he sat down in the chair behind him while Pavel did the opposite and stood to full attention. Abe, on the other hand, didn't look up, more so he kept his eyes on the sheets below him, but I knew he wasn't focusing on them.

His hand was clamped around the pen in his grip and his other clenched so tightly that I could see his knuckles turning white.

"What do you mean she's seen Nathan?" Mason asked once he had recuperated. His voice now strong and assertive as he glared up at me.

"Am I speaking Russian or something here, Ashford?" I growled, earning a snicker for Ivan.

"Nathan has been spotted hanging around our apartment. He even went as far as _carving_ the same tattoo that he has on his neck on our fucking front door. So I'll ask once more, has Stan increased his hunting party?"

"No," he replied strongly, "Stan called off the entire 'hunt', as you put it. Isaiah isn't even meant to be following you anymore."

"Since when?" Abe interjected, still not looking up from his papers.

"At the last drinks we had, so…Thursday night."

Today was a Saturday. Two nights had passed since Stan gave up on following me, but his lackeys hadn't relented.

"So what are these lads still holding onto if they've been called off?" Pavel grunted, finally uttering his first words in our presence.

"Not what…who" Mason said breaking the silence, his voice trailing off as he looked towards the closed office door. The door that leads directly into the dressing room and to where all the girls were.

To where Roza was.

* * *

We dispersed before the club opened, Mason slinking out the back door into the alleyway so that he could return with the other men from his party. I waited nervously at the bar for the doors to open and for the club to flood with patrons. Here I was thinking that due to the rain, fewer people would be out and it would mean a slower night. But oh how wrong I was, as soon as those doors opened, we were practically pushed to capacity.

I spotted Mason and his entourage as they staked out a table big enough for them all. Once again, using their stature to push people from their already claimed tables. It was a pathetic display of dominance in my own opinion. I preferred the subtler approach.

 _Blond, long hair, tattoo on neck_. _Blond, long hair, tattoo on neck_.

The description of Nathan coursed through my mind as I assessed the group and attempted to find the one that was causing all this chaos. I still hadn't spotted him by the time the first dance began. Maybe he wasn't here tonight? If he was smart, he would be laying low after the stunt he pulled with our door.

Well into the night, and there was still no sign of the illustrious mobster. Granted I had been inattentive to the world around me once I had seen Roza dance. A month had passed since meeting her and every damn time I saw her, it was like we were back at that first meeting.

It scared me that she was so sought after. I didn't like seeing the men drool over her or try their hands with her. She always shut them down but what happened if I was called back to Russia? What would happen to us? She loved this job, but did she love me more?

"You want another, Belikov?"

I reluctantly looked away from Roza and turned around to face Adrian, who was now topping up my glass without my response. I wasn't going to say no anyway.

"I've seen that look in a lot of men that come through here," he began before tucking the bottle of standard under the bar and out of sight.

"And what look is that?" I grunted, leaning my elbows against the wood, and twirling the glass in one hand.

"You love her, don't you? It's not just…sex."

He took my silence as confirmation, "Its nothing to be ashamed of man. You aren't the first and I doubt you'll be the last."

I scowled at his words. What exactly was he trying to insinuate?

"I'm not trying to hurt your ego or anything, relax," he laughed putting his hands up in defense, "I'm only saying that your girl is like one of the Seven Wonders of the World. There are gonna be men after her until the day she dies."

"Is that meant to make me feel better?" I sneered, his words only angering me further.

"She'd never been in love before, Belikov. She didn't give the damn feeling the time of day. But from the second you walked up to this bar, she hasn't been the same. I wouldn't worry about her loyalties to you."

How in God's name had he known exactly what was going through my mind? I had heard the snickers about his heritage among the dancers. They said he came from Gypsy lineage and I was certain his last name pointed to Romania. Romani maybe?

"I'm just good at reading people, Belikov. Don't think into it so much" he smiled before winking at me. He disappeared down the bar towards the other patrons, leaving my mind whirring with my own theories.

I smiled to myself before turning back to face the stage again, expecting to see Roza but finding that she was gone. There were still the other girls on stage doing their routine but no Roza.

Where the hell had she gone?

She had disappeared from right under my nose, and this was hardly the time for her to be out of sight. I needed to ensure that she was okay, I needed to be able to see her.

I swept the room with my eyes, trying to find if she had come out to the crowd but I had no luck. I unconsciously moved towards the doors leading backstage and did the same. Thanking my towering height for the ability to see over most heads. But still no luck.

I couldn't help the panic that bubbled within me. I could feel my stomach turning with the possibility that I had missed Nathan and he, in fact, _was_ here. What if he had spotted her before me?

I spotted Lissa and appeared suddenly in her mirror, scaring her into dropping whatever tool she was using on her eyes.

"Have you seen where Roza went?" I asked, my voice coming out hoarse and breathless. The panic was starting to set in.

Her frown turned into a soft smile and she relaxed, "Yeah, she was feeling sick so she went to…" her voice trailed off as she turned and looked towards one of the clothing racks behind us.

"She went to what?" I asked impatiently, my hands were beginning to shake and the ice cubes in my glass clinked loudly together. I took the confused look on the blonde's face that she had lost Roza as well.

"She was just there," she mumbled pointing at the clothing rack. She stood from her chair and began searching the crowd.

" _Fuck!_ " I cursed in Russian before heading towards the more secluded parts of the backstage area.

 _'If anything, she should be here_ '. I thought to myself as I opened all the doors around me, accidentally interrupting a seemingly steamy moment between one Eddie Castile and Jill Dragomir. I slammed the door shut, as that was _definitely_ not what I was looking for.

Before I had a chance to continue my mission of finding Roza, I felt a hand wrap around my forearm and pull me back into the room opposite. The offender threw me into the room and slammed the door behind them. I could hear the lock click and I turned to unleash my rage on the perpetrator.

In my own haze and albeit moderately tipsy state, I had yet to distinguish who it was that was now coming towards me, the dim lighting making the task considerably harder. The culprit jumped towards me, wrapping her legs around my waist, and locking her wrists behind my neck. Instinctively, I wrapped my free arm around her waist to balance us both, not registering who was now on top of me.

Just as I came to my senses and was about to drop the women she pulled me close to lips, the familiar smell of her perfume circling us and jogging my memory.

"What took you so long to find me, Comrade?" the voice whispered seductively, her lips brushing against my own lightly as she spoke.

The glass dropped from my hands and I heard the unmistakable sound of it smashing against the tile of what seemed to be a bathroom. My now free hand wrapped itself into the locks at the nape of her neck and I pushed her back roughly into the door behind her.

Letting my mouth crash against hers, we delved immediately into each other with an unrestrained passion. I felt her fingers get lost in my hair and pull me closer to her as we both attempted to touch more of each other.

I trailed my lips to the pulse point on her neck, attacking it with vigor as her ankles locked behind my back.

"I want…" Roza moaned breathlessly.

"Anything for you, _Moya Lyubov_ ," I breathed against her neck before recapturing her lips.

She released the hold she had on my hair and moved them downwards, clawing at my belt buckle before she undid the restraints that kept me concealed. I couldn't stop the hiss that came from my lips nor the rumble from my throat as she slid a small deft hand into my slacks.

I could feel her smiling into the kiss at my reaction. This had been her plan all along.

I cupped the back of her neck, deepening the kiss and pulling her closer to me while my other hand began pulling lightly on the ties that kept the pale pink corset tight.

The sound of muffled yelling echoed through the slightly ajar window on the opposite side of the room. The scuffle freezing our movements suddenly as we attempted to listen to the argument. We couldn't hear the words clearly because of the hammering sound of the rain but it wasn't hard to hear when the shouting suddenly morphed into fighting. Both of our breaths were ragged as we looked into each other's eyes with concern. What the hell was going on out there?

 _Crack!_

Okay, that was definitely a gunshot.

I jerked away from Roza and she dropped from my waist as I hastily readjusted myself. She spun around and unlocked the door before tearing out of the bathroom. I followed diligently as she ran through the packed dressing area, shoving past the girls and making her way to one of the back doors.

I caught up with her as she cocked the steel beam, releasing the lock and springing the door free. I wish she had picked up her jacket on the way through because as soon as she hit the alleyway she was drenched in the heavy rain.

The door slammed behind us and we both gazed upon the dark alleyway. I couldn't see a thing past Roza. Her head swung as she looked either side of her and the wind picked up the wet strands of hair. They wrapped around her neck and face, sticking to her like glue but she wasn't fazed.

It wouldn't be long until the rain seeped into our skin and began to affect us. I could already feel the cold wind begin to brutalize my exposed skin, but after Roza and my increasingly heated escapade in the bathroom and then hearing the gunshot, I had adrenaline pumping through me like an addictive drug would.

Roza gasped suddenly as she walked towards the garbage bins.

I turned to where she was walking. A still body lay at her feet and was slightly concealed by the garbage bins. I couldn't see the man's face, but from where Roza stood, I was sure that she would be able.

"Roza, stop!" I yelled from a few steps behind, the sound of the rain still threatening to drown out all words that we spoke.

I knew exactly what we would find upon closer inspection and it was only going to cause problems. Despite my warning, Roza continued to get closer to the partly concealed body.

I reached out to her just as she froze in her spot, "Oh my god!" she cried as she looked down, the bubbling of sobs beginning to escape her.

Everything around us slowed as I gripped her waist, pulling her behind me as if the action would shield her from the horror that she had already seen. The rain around us became background noise as I inched closer to the body.

Surely this was a joke.

Roza broke out of my grasp and awkwardly fell into the brick wall a few steps away from us. The explicit sound of her vomiting filled the alleyway and I winced at the nauseous feeling that began creeping up on me as well.

I took off my duster and draped it over her shoulders, hoping that it would ward off most of the water. I also fumbled to catch the wet locks of hair that fell around her face so they wouldn't get caught in the line of fire.

"Shh," I hushed as I rubbed my hands on her back.

Once she had regained her senses, I could see her entire body begin to shiver. Her adrenaline had worn off and now she was soaking wet in the middle of winter.

"Go get your father, Roza. We need to close up everything before we call anyone"

"What are you talking about?" she argued, refusing to move from in front of me.

"We can't call the Police to a murder when we are at a speakeasy. We need to protect ourselves _first_."

As much as I hated saying the words, they were true. As soon as we called the Police about the body, they would be crawling all over the joint. We had to lock up all evidence of alcohol before calling it in.

It took a few seconds for that to sink into Roza, she searched my eyes quickly before nodding and disappearing through the back door. The heavy metal clanging rang in my ears and the alleyway as I stared at the body lying lifelessly on the ground.

He laid there with a pool of blood forming underneath his head, the rain was doing a good job of washing most away and staining the cement around it. I couldn't believe it. His eyes were still open as they stared blankly into the oblivion.

Shot right between the eyes. An execution.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _So? What did you all think? Who do you think was shot?_

 _I tried to make the discovery scene as least graphic/horrifying as possible as seeing a dead body to this AU Dimitri would be completely different to AU Rose._

 _Next week's chapter may be a few days late as I am in the middle of planning my trip to Europe so keep an eye out for it Sunday/Monday night._

 _-RCap_


	11. A Cabin

**_Author's Note:_**

 _This chapter started off at 4k by slowly transformed into this almost 7k monstrosity! Enjoy!_

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _Mature scenes below._

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

I tore into the dressing room with my heart beating out of my chest as I maneuvered around all the girls, even having to curse at some of them as they refused to get out of the way. I was still getting hints of the acidic aftertaste that lingered in my mouth as well as the churning that didn't subside from when I had looked away from his body. However, every time the image popped into my mind, I could feel the same sickness threaten to erupt again.

I pushed the feeling down and barrelled into my Father's office door breathlessly, swinging the doors open violently and causing my father to jump in panic. I noticed that Pavel and Ivan were sitting on the leather lounge and looked as equally startled as my father did.

" _Rose?_ _What is it? What's wrong?_ " he asked uneasily in Turkish while slowly standing to his feet.

Hearing him address and speak to me in our natural tongue seemed to trigger something in me, allowing the language to fall from my lips like it used to before we moved to America.

" _Dimitri and I found his body in the alleyway! He was s-shot!_ " I stammered back in Turkish, trying to get the words out before the tears building behind my eyes spilled.

I glanced around the room, meeting blank stares and gaping mouths. No one was moving. Why wasn't anyone moving?

I knew why Ivan looked so confused; he wouldn't have understood a lick of what my father and I had just said. But that didn't explain the look on Pavel or the old man's face. They should be more concerned, or angry or…anything! They should be doing anything but standing there looking at me like I had two heads!

" _Fine, I'll deal with it,_ " I spat in Turkish as I spun on my heel and headed back and out of the office. I needed to get back to the alleyway, back to Dimitri.

Pavel lurched forwards and wrapped one of his large hands around my upper arm, halting my movements and grounding me.

"No, let your father and I deal with this. You need to get Adrian and Christian to begin moving everything back into storage" he commanded before practically throwing me towards the doors.

I balanced myself and stared blankly at him. I had never seen him so frazzled before. Pavel was known to be a controlled and stoic man. Don't get me wrong, Pavel had a 'fun' side, one that I had seen several times during my childhood, but he knew when he needed to separate the two personalities.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and pointed towards the doors that lead into the theatre. I glanced quickly towards my father who nodded in agreement to Pavel's demand. I searched the two of them and eventually nodded myself and tore out of the office, heading to the bar.

Much like in the dressing room, I had to push past the people in my way until they made a clear way for me. I was not in the mood for their cat-calls or anything of the nature. I'm sure that I portrayed exactly that by the look that I assumed was plastered on my face.

I spotted Adrian and called out his name while I ran to his end of the bar. Sensing the urgency in my voice, he immediately gave me his undivided attention and I delved into the story about hearing the fight and then the gunshot, while also mentioning finding the body.

I knew that I was rambling. Talking too fast for my own head to catch up with me and I was beginning to lose my breath. But there was so much that had happened in the past ten minutes that I just kept talking.

I faintly heard him call out my name to stop my ramblings a few times, but my mind was in overdrive and I couldn't stop the words from leaving my lips. I wasn't taking any breaths in my explanation and I could see his expression becoming more haunting with every word that I spoke.

"Rose!" he eventually yelled, cutting me off completely and bringing the pause that my lungs had been so desperately crying out for.

He searched my eyes with his own wide ones as his mouth gaped slightly, "I can't understand a _fucking_ word you are saying!"

I glanced beside me to see a heavily intoxicated patron staring at me, a confused look plastered on his face. It wasn't until that moment that I realized I hadn't shirked speaking in my Turkish tongue, I had run up to Adrian and yelled at him in Turkish while he stood there not understanding a damn word.

I looked back to the patron, not wanting to reveal the translation of my words with an audience, before lifting myself up and over the bar. Adrian gripped my waist and I wound an arm around his neck to steady myself as he helped me down from the bar. Once I was safely on the ground, I took his hand to drag him away from prying ears.

"Baby Vamp, what's going on?" he asked anxiously while bracing his hands on my shoulders.

"Dimitri and I found a body in the alleyway. You need to start moving everything into the bunker before they call the coppers. They will storm the place and we can't be caught selling liquor."

"Who-who's body did you find?" he asked, the colour draining from his face as he spoke.

"Stan Alto's."

The fact that we had found the body of a member of the American Mob was worrying. There was nothing like a Mafia execution on your own premises to instill fear in you. We had no idea who had done it. One of the Russians? Rivaling Mafias? Or even one of his own commands. This was so bad that we couldn't even comprehend the possible backlash.

It was no secret to coppers who was apart of the American Mob, and seeing Stan's body on our turf would cause a whole new set of difficulties.

"Get the Russians to help move everything into the bunker, I'll get Grant and Mikhail to move along the more… _intoxicated_ guests" I asserted, sneering slightly at the drunk who was still eyeballing us from his seat further down the bar.

Adrian nodded briskly before breezing past me to get help. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"How many times are you going to make me say it?" I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back into the metal-framed chair, "We heard fighting and then a shot."

Detective Steele stared at me intensely, sizing up a young woman wearing nothing but a severally oversized leather duster over her sparse garb. It was no secret what club they had stormed in on. They knew it was a decadent establishment that pushed morals to their limits. I was no quiff but to a dry, I might as well be.

And it seemed this particular detective was more on the wet side. I caught him momentarily gazing at the exposed section of my crossed legs, to which I smirked at and then promptly shifted position to cover the exposed skin.

Noticing my smirk and realizing that he had been caught, the Detective cleared his throat and returned his attention to me directly, diving back in with the same questioning we had been doing for almost two hours now.

"So you heard the shot and then ran out into the alleyway?"

"Atta boy," I teased. He had heard the story over and over again but it didn't take much to know he was trying to catch me in some sort of lie.

He narrowed his eyes at me; I knew his game and I think now he was beginning to realize that I wasn't going to play along any time soon.

A sharp knock came from the door and in scurried a small woman, most likely an assistant. She leaned close to the detective and whispered something in his ear. Neither of them gave anything away, but they both stared at me while she spoke.

I quickly grew uncomfortable with her presence and sucked on my teeth loudly, hoping to pass on the feeling or make her hurry up.

"Thank you, Inna," he grumbled, interrupting the woman's words and causing her to blink in surprise. I may not like unwarranted whispers, but I hated misogyny more.

"It seems you have an alibi" he continued, the smirk that had previously been playing on his lips disappeared quickly and was replaced with a scowl.

"That's what I've been telling you for the past two hours" I sighed while matching his narrowed gaze, "Is Dimitri done being interrogated now?"

Detective Steele gave a reluctant nod and stood from the chair.

"Yes," he said reluctantly, "Your Russian boyfriend is waiting in the hall for you."

I stood up myself and walked around the wooden table that was placed in the middle of the room. Dimitri had known from as soon as we had found Stan's body that they would think it was us. In the end, it was a murder in the back alley of a club. People are gonna have their suspicions.

They had also gone through the theatre, looking behind the bar and yet finding nothing just as we had planned. They had seemed to be on higher alert due to the nature of the death as well. Stan had been blatantly executed, shot right between the eyes and discarded. It had to be a rival killing, but the last I had heard was that there was an alliance of sorts forming between some of the Mafia's. The only other possibility was internal.

I spotted Dimitri immediately and he strode towards us, closing the distance in a mere few steps. He placed his hands on my cheeks and did an unnecessary look over me, making sure I hadn't been touched.

"I'm fine, baby" I hushed as I drew myself closer to his chest. He reciprocated and wrapped his arm around my shoulders protectively before glaring at Detective Steele.

"We may need to talk to you again Miss Hathaway, Mr. Belikov." He grunted, obviously frustrated with the lack of incriminating information he was going to get from us.

"You have our addresses, stop by anytime if need be" I replied in a slightly sickly-sweet but mostly patronizing voice. I really should have been trying not to stir the pot any more than I had to, but the entire ordeal of being locked in an interview room for two hours had finally gotten the better of me.

He scowled slightly and nodded once before slinking off back down the long hallway, Inna in tow. We watched the two of them disappear behind a door and were finally able to relax. I had a knot the size of a fist in my back from sitting so rigidly and all I wanted was to have a hot shower and go to sleep. It was closely reaching three in the morning and the effects of the tumultuous night were beginning to take their toll on me.

I leaned into Dimitri, allowing him to support most of my weight as we walked out of the Police building and into the quiet street. Now that I was out of the building, I felt as if I could finally breathe properly again. The entire place made me feel like I was suffocating even before they had begun questioning me.

The rain had seemed to have subsided considerably during our time inside the station. The originally heavy downpour was now only a light misting that reflected magically with the white glow the clear sky. It was still cold, but at least we wouldn't be drenched by the time we got back home.

We walked the short distance back to my apartment, occasionally looking around or behind us for anyone following us. But for the first time in three weeks, we were completely alone. There was no one following us.

I unlocked the front door with my key and was immediately assaulted by a blur of blonde hair jumping at me and wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Oh my god! I was so worried about you Rose! Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" she rambled on not taking a breath.

I pried her arms from their restricting hold and smiled warmly at her, "I'm fine Liss. Tired…but fine."

"Is it true?" Christian asked from further into the apartment.

I hadn't even noticed that there were others in the apartment, and upon a quick inspection, I noticed Adrian and Sydney standing off near the hallway as well as Christian. It was easily now three in the morning, what were they all doing up? Everyone should be in bed and asleep.

"Is what true, Sparky?"

"That…Stan…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, he's dead," I said bluntly.

The faces around me seemed to become more somber, no one knew where to look. It just felt uncomfortable. I noticed how they exchanged glances like they were having a silent conversation between themselves, one that didn't involve Dimitri and me.

What didn't I know?

I searched their expressions, trying to determine what had happened while we had been gone.

"What's going on?" I asked slowly, still letting my gaze switch between the nervous occupants of the room.

Adrian stepped forward fiddling with a folded piece of paper between his fingers. Once I spotted it, I couldn't stop myself from staring at it. The paper was creased and folded in many different places but I could see the ink of whatever had been written bleeding through the thin paper.

"Adrian, what is that?" I whispered.

"It was under the door when we got here. It wasn't addressed to us and we shouldn't have read it, but I think our curiosity and the events of tonight got the better of us," Adrian murmured taking a deep breath and holding the note out in front of him for me to take.

I hesitated, feeling the fear boil within me while looking at the words that were written on the cover of the folded paper.

 _'_ _To His Roza._ '

My hands shook at my sides as I willed them to move and take the paper from Adrian's hand. But they refused and my fingers twitched with the different commands I was throwing at my body.

I finally looked up from the paper and into the swirling green eyes in front of me. Did I want to know what they already did?

I felt Dimitri take hold of my hand beside me, giving it an encouraging squeeze and as the warmth flowed through my hand, so did that encouragement.

I reached out, tentatively taking the paper from Adrian and flipping it open. I felt my breathing catch in the throat and my knees go weak. A pit formed in my stomach as I read the words over and over again and I willed them to change every time I read them. But they didn't.

 _'_ _Watch your back, Stan didn't._ '

The message was as clear as day. This was no longer about Dimitri. This was about me.

He had used his signature, the symbol I was seeing around so much lately. The symbol that he had carved into Dimitri's front door and the one tattooed on his neck.

Nathan.

I coughed uneasily and felt the paper scrunch into a ball in my hands. I tightened my grip on the now ruined note, screwing it smaller until I felt the paper bite into the skin of my palm.

I dropped the ball and heard it bounce slightly against the wood. I pried my hand from Dimitri's grip before running my fingers roughly through my hair, this was not happening. My entire mind had gone blank and I felt like I was back at square one.

My eyes searched the worried faces of my friends in front of me, they knew what the letter had said. They knew what his words had meant. Nathan had killed Stan. For what? I wasn't sure. Nathan was insane, he was driven and power hungry. Traits that may not be necessarily good for anyone in an authority figure over him.

I could faintly hear Dimitri whispering my name, but it was only a muffled background noise. The only thing I could hear clearly was the sound of my blood pumping in my ears and my heartbeat. I was truly petrified.

Sparing one more glance at my friends and lover, I did the worst thing imaginable.

I ran.

I turned tail and ran back out the front door in a swirl of a black duster. I couldn't be there anymore. Me being around would only put targets on their backs as well. Nathan hadn't hesitated to shoot Aaron and most likely didn't hesitate to shoot Stan. I doubt he would hesitate when it came to me.

* * *

I didn't get very far.

I barely got down the three flights of stairs and through the foyer before Dimitri slammed me up against the wall.

His fingers were gripped tightly around my wrists as he held me again the plaster and he used his own body weight to keep me from pushing against him.

I couldn't help but struggle against him though. Even though I knew I had no chance of getting out of his grip, I needed to get out of here. I couldn't be around the people I loved as I feared it would put them in a bad spot. I couldn't lose anyone else.

"Roza, please stop fighting me," he whispered against my forehead while holding me close to him.

"I need to leave, Dimitri. I-"

"He will follow you, Roza!" Dimitri interrupted harshly.

"That's the point, Comrade. If he is following me, he won't be here. He won't be a danger to anyone," I whispered softly.

"But he will be to you! Roza, we can figure this out."

He pulled his head back and looked down at me, those molten orbs swirling with love and fear simultaneously.

How could I go not seeing him every day? How could I continue whatever of my life was left without him?

He dipped his head, bringing his lips to my own in a heated kiss, one that I returned without thinking. We continued the kiss, the hands that had been constricting my wrists eventually intertwining with them and his body weight more lowly distributed.

He eventually broke away from me, leaving me breathless and my chest heaving. He smiled and rested his forehead against mine while we both attempted to catch our breath.

"Come on," he whispered, pulling us away from the wall and towards the glass double doors at the exit.

"Where are we going?" I managed to get out as he barrelled us out into the brisk cold night.

"My place."

I froze in my spot, making him stumble slightly as my fear came back to me. I didn't want to go back to the place that Nathan had carved his mark in. Who knew if he would be lurking around there and just waiting for us. I began shaking my head, my words not forming properly.

"I-I-I don't want to go there," I stuttered as the cold added to my fear, making my ability to talk clearly increasingly more difficult.

Dimitri turned and stood in front of me, running his hands over my arms to bring some further warmth to me. His eyes bore into mine as he obviously sensed my fear. I didn't want to be somewhere where _he_ could find me.

"Shh, milaya," he hushed while bring me closer to him, "We aren't going to the apartment."

"You have another place in Chicago?" I asked skeptically.

He nodded with a small smile on his face, "But we need a car. Do you have the club's keys with you?"

Of course I did, I always had them on me. Baba, Pavel, and I all had a set, it was _our_ business in the end.

I nodded and his smile broadened, enough that my own lips began tugging into a smile. "Okay, let's go."

He tugged me along the footpath, the moon lighting our way as well as the occasional street light. Traffic was sparse and there was no one else walking. I was comfortable with the silence around us, especially after hearing an extra set of footsteps everywhere I went for the past month. The quiet was nice.

When we reached the club, we headed for the alleyway that was adjacent to the one where we had found Stan's body. The alleyway branched off behind the club and to our garage, where we housed a small fleet of vehicles. I unlocked the large wooden door for Dimitri and let him slip in to get a car started.

"I'm just gonna run inside and get my change of clothes," I added quickly before heading for the back entrance.

However, to get to the back entrance and I had to pass the place I had been mere hours before. The area had been sectioned off with tape and there was running chalk on the cement, indicating the area that Stan had laid and probably other areas of suspicion. the rain had washed away a lot of the indicators, but some remained clear as day.

I shook my head to relieve me of the image of Stan's body lying lifelessly and shoved the key into the lock, hearing the mechanisms work away as I pulled violently on the steel door. I flicked on the light to my immediate right and the area lit up with the warm glow.

It wasn't often I would see the club completely empty at this time. Normally Baba and Pavel would be here well into the early hours of the morning, or even my own circle of friends would occupy the theatre. It just wasn't a building that was empty a lot of the time. I walked around to my dressing table and grabbed my bag with my change of clothes in it.

I was about to leave when I caught the reflection of my father's open office door. Tomorrow was a Sunday, therefore banking day. He had already said that he would go and see Jacob seeing as I had had such a rough night, but that meant he would be here in the early hours of the morning, most likely finding one of the cars gone.

I walked into the office and rummaged around on his desk for a pen and his notepad. Scribbling down a quick explanation that Dimitri and I had borrowed one of the cars and would return with it in time for opening tomorrow night. I signed it and looked for where he would have left the books, it would be easier for me to leave the note with them so that I knew he would find it.

I opened all his drawers, eventually finding them and slipped the note on top of the leather. It wasn't until I was closing the drawer that my eyes caught onto a black and white photograph that was hidden away.

The photograph was small but I could see the picture perfectly. It was of my mother and I, taken shortly before leaving Turkey. I was nineteen in the photo and my mother and I were dressed for an elegant ball that was being thrown. I picked up the photograph in my fingers and felt the ripple of a sob threaten to break free.

 _No, Rose! Stay strong! You know that's what she would have wanted._

I sucked in a deep breath and turned the photo over, there, inked in my father's cursive script was a notation.

 _'_ _My Girls; 1919'_

I smiled fondly at the photograph before placing it delicately back in the drawer. Dimitri would certainly have the car started and ready by now, so I rushed out of the room and out the back door and towards the sounds of a running engine.

* * *

It hadn't taken long for us to reach our destination, and in no time at all, I was out of the rain and standing in a small apartment while Dimitri began building the fire in the fireplace. I gazed around the small apartment, taking in the bare furnishings and open space. Everything was in the same room, except the bathroom.

"This place is called a _'sekretnaya kayuta'_. There is one in every city a cell is located in," Dimitri clarified, noticing my investigative glances.

I began walking around slowly, dragging my finger over the dust-covered counter that was placed just off the kitchen space.

"What is it? Some kind of safe house?"

I moved further into the kitchen, glancing at the several bottles of Russian Standard that were covered in more thick dust. Whatever this place was, it hadn't been used for several years.

"Guess you could say that. It translates roughly to ' _secret cabin'._ The keys are given to the commander of the cell to use in case of an emergency."

It was a smart idea to have such a place. I could only imagine the type of instances that this place would come in handy. Such as now. Nathan would have no idea where we were and even though we would be back in his sight tomorrow, it would be nice to know that we were for once, completely alone.

I sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Dimitri lit and tended to the fire until it was stable enough to be left alone. After a few minutes, he stood up and brushed his hands over his slacks before shooting me a half smile and coming to stand in front of me.

"Do you want something to drink, _milaya_?"

I shook my head, keeping my own smirk small and innocent.

"Eat?"

I shook my head again and gazed up at him lovingly. He really had become my whole world in such a short space of time.

"What do you want?"

I couldn't stop the craving in me for him. I couldn't stop the flutter inside me every time he looked at me. Had I really been about to run away from him? Why would I run away from someone who made me feel so whole, someone who hadn't done a single thing to hurt me, he only protected me.

How could I run away from the only thing that had gone right for me?

I stood up as he dipped his head down, both of us meeting in the middle. I wasn't expecting the amount of force behind his kiss as I received, and we both came crashing down onto the bed. Neither of us minded and neither of us stopped.

Dimitri frantically grabbed his duster that was still wrapped around me and pulled it off, throwing it into the room and away from us. He broke the bruising kiss and lifted himself so that he hovered above me.

I slowly moved further up the bed, and he followed dutifully before coming to rest between my thighs. I was still dressed in the pale pink corset from earlier tonight and while it may have been a beautiful costume, it was an obstacle that neither of us could wait to get rid of.

He ran his large hands over the fabric until they came to rest at the join in the center. I could see his eyes darken and my heart rate accelerated with anticipation of his next action.

I could see it swirling in his eyes, the need for me to be rid of the garment but he wouldn't. Would he?

His lips formed a devilish smirk as he gripped the two edges tightly and gave it a rough tug. I couldn't hold in my surprised gasp as the fabric tore beneath his hands.

"My father will-" I cried out, but Dimitri promptly halted my scolding with a heavy and mind-wiping kiss.

"Roza, I don't want to hear about your father right now," he chuckled darkly once he released my lips.

I nodded absent-mindedly, the expensive and ruined corset completely forgotten and thrown far from us. I lifted my head and recaptured his lips, intertwining my fingers in his hair and using my grip to pull him closer to me.

His kisses were my salvation. Every time he trailed his lips over the several inches of my skin, he left a trail of heat that wouldn't dispel easily. I was at a point where not even a cold shower would be able to calm me down.

With the corset gone, he was able to avert his attention to the lower points of my body. Focusing heavily on the hardened points that craved his affection. He didn't stint on the attention either, nipping and sucking on the skin of my bust, leaving bruising kisses while his large calloused hands squeezed and caressed them.

I arched myself closer to him, wanting to see what he did to me and feel every bad intention I had in mind for us. I let my nails scratch his scalp, as they got lost in the silky strands before trailing down the nape of his neck. I felt the rumble in his chest as my nails left their trail around his neck before coming to rest atop of his chest.

His hands trailed down to my stomach while his mouth returned to mine. Claiming me hungrily and relentlessly as I desperately tried to undo the buttons on his dress shirt. However, my sex-clouded mind found the task hard to focus on as his fingers between my thighs. I got the first three buttons undone before he broke the kiss so he could reach behind his head and pull the shirt off by the collar.

I had seen his chest so many times, kissed the warm and tanned skin and it never ceased to leave me breathless. He was a god in my eyes.

His thumb rubbed over my sweet spot, making all thoughts of his resemblance to a god disappear and cause my eyes to roll back in my head. The building sensation only increasing as I felt his hot and wet kisses on my neck in between Russian gospels.

With his free hand, he delicately removed my final undergarment, leaving me bare beneath him and open for his taking. He sat back on his heels while I stayed splayed on the bed; letting his hands glide over my exposed skin.

They trailed over my breasts and rib cage, into the dip of my waist and over my hips.

The trained hands worked their way over my thighs until they left me at my knees. The unmistakable sounds of his belt clattering open and then his zipper echoed into the small 'cabin'.

I felt my stomach coil in anticipation and my body shuddered with desire as I looked up at him undressing at my knees. His eyes never strayed from mine and maintained my attention, while never faltering from their task of seducing me. A task that I doubt he would ever fail at.

When he was fully exposed to me he returned his body on top of mine, hovering inches above me and holding himself just shy of my heat. I felt the edge of him stroke along the sensitive nerves of the flesh, coating himself in my arousal.

"What do you want, Roza?" he repeated, his voice husky and low and even a hint of danger lingering there.

He continued his torturous teasing, ripping any words that I may have been able to form. But I was robbed of all coherent thinking, sinking ever so deeply into a well of desire that would take a miracle to bring me back from.

I felt the sudden pressure of him pushing into me; I knew immediately that he was still teasing me as his fingers worked into me.

"Where do you want me, Roza?"

He only indulged me for a short second before pulling his fingers out and bringing them to my lips. I captured the two long fingers between my lips, sucking them clean much to his approval. His eyes searched mine before his lips cradled my own, his tongue chasing the sweet nectar that I had stolen from him.

His name escaped my lips in a broken moan and he took that as his answer. He sunk into me, groaning as my warm walls encircled him slowly and once he was fully sheathed, he didn't delay in pulling out and then slamming back into me.

I screamed as our hips collided over and over again. I had to hang on for dear life as the brutal intrusion made me dig my nails into his biceps, most likely hard enough to draw blood.

The world around us disappeared.

We were the only ones left as our bodies worked in perfect synchronicity, moving as one and bringing each other to higher points than ever imagined. I knew that I would do anything he asked of me without question.

If he said jump, I'd ask how high.

I understood the feeling he had when he had proposed to me accidentally. I was 'it' in his eyes, there was no one or nothing else and looking up at him while he claimed every single part of my body, I felt that bond that wouldn't sever without consequence.

He was it. I would follow him to the ends of the earth.

* * *

"Can you teach me something?" I asked bluntly making the fingers that were drawing patterns on my hip freeze.

We had been awake for about an hour now; the soft sound of rain was hitting the window and we had set the fire again. It was a nice way to start the day, one that I hoped I would have many of in the future.

I could still feel a throbbing between my thighs from the actions last night, the brutal fucking was a guilty pleasure we both indulged in. Despite the tumultuous activity of last night, there had never been an absence of love in his eyes of is touch when he cradled me against his chest until sleep fell upon us.

"Like?" he replied cautiously.

"How to protect myself I guess," I said quietly, immediately embarrassed by my question.

The soft rumble of Dimitri's laughter filled the warm room and he continued the dance his fingers were doing, "What would you like to learn, _milaya_?"

I thought hard about what he could teach me. I knew he carried some weapons on him and was a god with his fists. I hadn't seen him in action but judging by the time I bandaged his hand and that he had no retaliation marks on him, he was good.

I sat up on my knees, allowing the bed sheet to fall away from my naked frame and reached over to grab his shirt from the previous night. I pulled it over my shoulders and did up the few undone buttons, much to Dimitri's amusement.

The sound of the fire crackling behind us was entrancing, the flames leaving a warm orange cloak over the two of us. I smiled and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, stepping onto the hardwood and taking a few steps away from him.

I left him sprawled underneath the cotton sheets on the bed, watching my every move carefully before eventually peeling the covers back and pulling on his abandoned slacks.

"Teach me what to do if someone comes at me."

For the next few hours, Dimitri taught me how to use my smaller size to get the advantage over bigger threats. He taught me tricks to get out of constricting positions and the places to attack that would be the easiest and most effective at if not taking someone down, at least distracting them long enough for me to get away.

When Dimitri walked over to his duster, I watched him pull out a shiny object that looked a lot like a dagger. One of his weapons. It was hidden inside the inner layer of the jacket, explains why I never noticed it there, even though I wore the jacket for several hours.

He chucked it between his hands, the hilt landing in his palm every time as he watched me cautiously. I could see the hesitation in his eyes about teaching me to use such a tool, but if I was going to stay put, I needed to know how to use these things. I needed to know how to protect myself.

He flipped it once more so that it twirled slightly in the air, however, when he caught it, the blade was in his palm and the hilt facing me for me to grasp. He nodded encouragingly as I reached for it, feeling the leather in my hands and the weight of the silver.

I hadn't expected it to be a heavy tool, let alone one that was probably too big for my hands. Dimitri took a shaky breath before stepping back slightly. While I let myself get accustomed with the dagger I could feel his stare on me, watching me carefully as if he was nervous. About what? I wasn't sure. But I was quickly becoming increasingly more familiar with the dagger, becoming more comfortable.

"There is one rule when it comes to using this, Roza," he said slowly, his wavering voice betraying the serious look on his face.

I locked my eyes with his and waited for him to continue. "Don't hesitate."

I stayed quiet as did he. We only stared at each other as the weight of his words sunk in.

"If you hesitate, they can use it against you. They can also use the knife against you."

I looked away from Dimitri and down at the weapon in my hand, gripping it slightly tighter and hearing his words replay in my mind.

 _Don't hesitate._

I strengthened my grip on the hilt fully and brought the dagger to my side offensively. I nodded at Dimitri and he took a few steps towards me, reluctantly it seemed.

"I'm going to be on the offensive, Roza. I've been doing this for a long time, don't be scared of hurting me."

His words were careful but full of trust. He trusted a woman who had never held a dagger in her life to not fatally wound him. I nodded in understanding and relaxed slightly into the situation.

Before I had a chance to know what was happening, Dimitri charged towards me, closing the distance between us in milliseconds and wrapping his hand around my own hand that was holding the dagger.

Using the grip, he spun me around so that my back was pressed against his bare chest, one of his arms wrapped around me and rested over my stomach, while the other brought my hand up so the blade was against my throat.

In the space of a second, Dimitri had full control over my body. He forced my hand to press the dagger into my throat. Not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to ensure I knew how dangerous it was to be in this situation, even more so with a blade involved.

"Don't let your guard down," he whispered into my ear, making my skin pucker slightly and my breathing hitch. With the blade forgotten, I could only feel his fingers splayed over my stomach tightly and his grip on my hand. The warmth of his bare chest flowed through the shirt I was wearing and the air sizzled around us.

He spun me back around, taking the dagger with him and breaking all contact. We both looked at each other breathlessly before he passed the dagger back to me.

"Again," he commanded softly.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _I got the chapter done while also spending every cent in my bank account on Europe! Both are exciting to me, but only one leaves me borderline broke._

 _I'm surprised that no one guessed Stan. Here I was writing the scene saying to myself "it's too obvious"._

 _I listened to the song '_ _ **Devil' by Niykee Heaton**_ _on repeat while writing my own more roughly charged version of the cabin, and promptly fell in love with the entire album it came on!_

 _Until next time x_

 _-RCap_


	12. A Heartbreak

**_Dimitri._**

"Belikov!"

Abe Mazur's voice boomed out into the semi-empty dressing room causing Roza and I to turn. The smiles that we both had fell drastically when we saw the look on his face.

We had only just walked back into the club, it was nearing sunset and we were by any means _early_. Roza had mentioned that she had left a note for her father, explaining that we had borrowed the car. Had he not found it?

His eyes were cold and his lips were set in a hard line. Any of the normal sly glints he would have were completely gone as he stood in the doorway of his office, his arms crossed over his chest threateningly.

He nudged his head, beckoning me to follow him into his office before disappearing through the doorway again. I looked down at Roza questioningly, curious as to what had brought on such a harsh reception.

She shrugged and pushed herself onto the tips of her toes, placing a small kiss on my lips for encouragement and smiling up at me tenderly. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course, _milaya_ ," I smiled back down before recapturing her lips again in a quick kiss. I moved past her and towards the open doors of the club owner's office expecting the surprise meeting was about the upcoming shipment.

All confidence that I held in myself disappeared when I entered the room. Abe was sitting in his large leather chair while Pavel leant against the wooden bookcase slightly behind him. Their shared blank expressions and stiff postures unnerved me. The light caught onto something placed on his desk. I glanced momentarily down at the bit of paper before recognising the crumpled edges and blue ink.

It was _the_ note.

I sighed with understanding and closed the door behind me, catching Roza's concerned eyes for a quick second.

"Sit, Dimitri," Abe commanded, his voice strong and unwavering.

I took an unsure seat in one of the chairs placed in front of him, hoping that my nerves weren't displayed on my face. I was a commander for the Russian Bratva for god sake. I was dangerous and ruthless and yet I crumbled into a teenage boy in front of my lover's father.

"I will say this once," Abe began, "I've already lost one of the most important people in my life, I will _not_ lose the other."

I glanced down at the note he had in front of him. I hadn't seen the words with my own eyes, but they were still engrained in my mind after I made Adrian tell me them.

 _Roza ran out the door, my duster flapping behind her and followed by the slamming of the front door._

 _Her friends looked between each other, all expressing looks of fear and distraught. Adrian began moving forwards, most likely towards the door to follow her. I moved into his path, making his entire body crash into me and stumble back slightly._

 _He had to look slightly up at me to meet my eyes and what I saw in them was less than comforting. His eyes were swirling with worry and about Roza fleeing but I had all intentions of following her._

 _I knew I had at least thirty seconds before she made it down to the street, but I needed to know what the note said._

 _"What did it say?" I growled dangerously down at him, hoping that my tone would show that I wasn't going to tolerate avoidance or his sarcasm right now._

 _"It told her to watch her back. Nathan is the one who killed Stan."_

I shook my mind of the memory, not wanting to remember how scared I had been for the woman I loved in that moment.

"How do you intend to protect her?" I questioned eagerly, "I'll do anything to help."

I knew this was all happening to her because of Nathan's obsession. If they hadn't of been enlisted to tail me, maybe they would never have taken a liking to her. But it was too late to think about what could've been. This was real and it was happening now.

However, as I stared at Abe waiting for him to disclose any plans he had, I suddenly regretted my words. He hadn't uttered a single word yet, but his lips were turned into a slight smirk and in his eyes, I could see exactly what he wanted to do to in order to protect Roza.

"Stop seeing my daughter, Belikov" he eventually said.

I could see Pavel shift uncomfortably in my peripheral vision and I simply couldn't move.

"Excuse me?"

Abe merely arched a brow and continued to smirk, his features uninterrupted by my displeasure or abhorrence to his words. I could tell now that we weren't going to be leaving this office until he got his way.

He began speaking in a foreign but somewhat familiar language to me. The words flew from his mouth effortlessly and I found myself struggling to even understand the mere relevance they had to our conversation. He finished his sentence and cocked his head slightly to the side at my confused expression.

"Oh, my apologies. I thought that seeing as you didn't understand me in English, I might as well have retried my words in my natural tongue," he quipped, the smirk still playing on his lips as he took in my discomfort like a heady drug.

He had been speaking in Turkish, the only reason it sparked something in me was because I had heard Roza speak in in her sleep some nights. I always thought it was incoherent ramblings, but it should have pieced together that it was Turkish. It was her first language after all, and I myself had a habit of switching to Russian accidently.

"I heard you the first time," I muttered, "But I don't see how you coming between your daughter and I will help the situation."

"You're a dangerous man, Belikov! How can you sit there and say that my daughter will be safe around you?" he boomed and he stood from his chair.

My comment must have pushed him over a very fragile edge we had been against, one that I hadn't seen right in front of me, and one that we were both falling from quickly.

"He's after your daughter! Not me! If I'm around she at least has a wall of protection!" I shouted back, standing myself.

I could see Pavel tense in his position as he watched the showdown happening before his eyes. He didn't move to interfere, but I knew he would step in if we got any more heated.

We both stood against each other, neither of us willing to back down from the fight. There would be a winner here and I was going to push until I was victorious. However I didn't think that using fire against fire was the way to win this fight. I needed to appeal to the undying love he had for his daughter, not my own passion for her.

"Let me protect her, Abe." I said levelly, calming my body down.

The space between us crackled with tension and he stayed silent, as if he was weighing up all the different options he had. He ran a hand through his dark hair and continued trying to stare me down.

"I know you love my daughter," he said after a few tense moments of silence, "but she is all I have left. I wont bury my daughter like I did my wife."

If his words didn't cut me, his expression did. "I can protect her," I appealed once again.

He looked at me with sad eyes before easing back into his chair. "I'm sorry, son. Maybe after this is all over I will give you my blessing, but at the moment this is what I feel is right for my daughter."

"Do you really think a woman like you daughter would take me back after I break her heart?" I scoffed incredulously, feeling the anger I had pushed deep down begin to push itself back up.

"My daughter is smart. She will understand you did it to keep her safe, but until then, your relationship is only going to get her killed."

His words hit me harder than any man ever could. Was this really the best thing for her, and I was being selfish not wanting to give her up?

* * *

I immediately trekked towards the bar and slumped into one of the stools, hanging my head in my hands and gripping the strands of hair tightly in frustration.

I heard the soft sound of a glass being placed in front of me but I refused to look up from hands. I still had a few hours before Roza would be around and I needed to have a clear head. I needed to see what Abe was seeing, and yet I just couldn't.

"Hey you," a velvet voice purred in my ear, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It always amazed me the effect her just being near me had on me.

I turned in my stool and looked up into the chocolate coloured eyes that haunted my dreams. She leant in and placed a soft kiss on my lips, but I couldn't reciprocate. My Roza. How could I do what Abe asked? How could I do something that would intentionally hurt her?

Looking at her now, I could see what Abe did. He saw his daughter that was in danger, he saw his blood being threatened and he would do anything to keep her safe. We had the same thoughts only we had different techniques.

It was very possible that I was letting my own selfishness get in the way of her safety. I didn't want her anywhere but on my side, that way I had eyes on her and could keep her safe. But that's what had gotten us into this mess.

She hadn't strayed from my side in the past month, so when Isaiah followed me he also followed Roza. This _was_ all because of me.

Noticing my hesitancy, her perfectly manicured eyebrows furrowed and she sat in the stool next to my own.

"I'll give you guys a minute," Adrian mumbled, picking up a tray of glasses and towards the back room.

I didn't get a chance to thank him for his privacy, but maybe he wouldn't have been so willing to leave us alone if he knew what was plaguing my thoughts.

"Roza…" I began, the words falling from my mouth before I was ready to utter them, "Do you ever think that _I'm_ the reason you are in danger?"

She blinked shocked by my words, and her mouth parted slightly with a sharp intake of breath. "How could you think that?" she whispered out.

I shrugged glumly and looked down at the bar in front of me, "This wouldn't have happened to you if you hadn't of known me?"

The previous uncertainty in her had completely dispersed now and I could see the pieces come together in her mind. Her eyes flashed with anger, as she knew exactly who had planted these thoughts into my mind.

"What did my father say to you?" she snarled.

I ignored her question, not wanting to divulge what Abe had said. At least not in the same way he had said it. She wrapped one of her small hands around my chin and turned my head to face her, and repeated her question but in a softer voice.

"What did he say to you, Dimitri?"

I was a goner as soon as I looked deep into her eyes. They were like my Achilles heel and could bring out every single secret I had hiding within me. I was powerless against them.

"He said that I was dangerous and our relationship was only going to get you killed."

"He said _what_!" she growled letting go of my chin and standing up from her stool, most likely to storm his office. I didn't go to hold her to her chair, but my next words were enough to ground her.

"What if he's right, Roza! What if this is all my doing?" I stood from my chair, letting my anger get the better of me and take control of my words, "What if our relationship was doomed from the beginning because of personal vendettas people could have against me?"

"So what? That's it?" she yelled back, firing up as equally as I had. "It gets tough so you just ' _give up_ '? I didn't peg you for a coward, _Belikov_."

My scoffed her words and my name sounded like venom on her tongue, like she had uttered the words out of spite.

"It's not about cowardice, _Rose_ ," I growled back, using the same tone she had. Her eyes narrowed at my disuse of her nickname, but I was no longer in the mood for making sure her feelings remained intact. It was a move that I wasn't exactly proud of.

It would be easier for her if she hated me.

"I can't sit here playing fucking happy families with you, not if it is putting you directly in the firing line."

"Then protect me," she snapped, pushing her palms against my chest and trying to shove me back.

"That's what I'm trying to do!" I roared back, catching the attention of the practicing band.

The band's instruments faltered and the tune lost its sync for a short note. My sudden lack of control had also captured the attention of some practising dancers and Tasha, all of them diverting their attention towards us at the bar.

I scowled at the crowd we had acquired before looking back to Roza. Her entire offensive posture had changed. Her eyes seemed to well with unshed tears and she cowered slightly under my overbearing height. I had just yelled in the woman I loved face.

I had done what my father had done time after time. _Maybe I was like him deep down_?

The thought brought me back down to earth. My anger disappeared and I was left with the empty feeling and the regret of what I had just done

"Roza, I'm-" I began to apologize for my outburst but she quickly turned and stormed out of the front entrance, "Shit!"

I scrambled past the stools we had both stood from and followed her out onto the street. The sun had since set and I was stunned by the clear sky that left a haunting white glow over the semi-busy street.

She was facing the road, her back to me and her hair flying wildly in the brisk wind. The simple act of watching her hair seemed to relax me and calm me down.

"Roza," I whispered hoping that she would turn and face me, despite whatever reservations she may have against me currently.

I could see her shoulders heave, as if she was taking a deep breath and she slowly turned to face me. There was so much hurt in her eyes, hurt that I had caused.

We were silent for several seconds, both of us searching the other for an unspoken comfort.

"You said you loved me," she whispered eventually.

The meekness and fragility of her voice broke my heart and I cursed at myself for doing this to her. I had to keep remembering that it was for the best. It was for her safety.

I took a quick step forward and cupped her cheeks in my palms before resting my forehead against her own. I took a deep breath before uttering my next words; I knew that they would crumble her when they left my lips.

 _It would be easier for her if she hated me._

"Love can fade, Roza. Give it time and there wont be anything more between us."

My words were a complete lie and a mistake to say. Love didn't fade, even if you weren't with the person you loved, it still lingered. Our short time together had taught me exactly that.

I regretted instantly saying those words, but the damage was already done.

In the dim lighting of the street and our close proximity, I couldn't gauge her reaction properly. Her features were partially hidden by the night around us but I could make out the heartbreak in those molten orbs as they stared into me.

I had really done it. I had broken the heart of the woman I wanted by my side for the rest of our days.

I had really fucked up.

I spotted a tear leak from the corner of her eye, the moonlight catching the drop and lighting it up for me to see easily. Without thinking I moved my thumb to catch the escaped tear, but whom was I kidding? Why would she accept comfort from the person who caused it?

She lashed out, using her forearms to hit away my wrists from cupping her face, just like I had taught her. Pain vibrated from where she connected with my bone and further in with her brush-off.

I had no right to be upset. This was my own fault entirely.

"Don't. Touch. Me," she growled through clenched teeth and taking a step away from me, all heartbreak gone from her voice and replaced completely with rage.

She held her hands in front of her protectively, trying to keep the distance between us and her eyes had gone cold and hard. She was a completely different woman than she had been just seconds before.

She took another step back and away from me. Not breaking eye contact, she strongly continued taking steps back until there was a decent distance between us. "Stay the hell away from me."

With that, she spun on her heel and began walking into the street. Her heels clicked loudly as she crossed the road in front of me and eventually disappeared around the corner.

I was stood frozen watching her walk away from me.

I shouldn't have let her go off alone, but I couldn't move. The tone of her words and the hatred in her eyes had stumped me. I never thought I would be on the receiving end of those, I had seen them pointed at others plenty of times. But never did I think I would do something to deserve them.

I sighed deeply before roughly rubbing my hands over my face. Almost like I was trying to scrub off the disgust I had in myself. I had pushed away the only woman I had loved. I looked back to where she had walked and began my task of crossing the road towards where she had gone.

I couldn't let her walk off on her own, especially when Nathan was out there looking for her.

 _'Stay the hell away from me._ '

I practically skidded to a stop. All I could hear was the hostility in her voice and the pain in her eyes. She didn't want me to follow her, even if I was doing it to make sure she was okay.

She had walked in the direction of her apartment. I would be waiting by the entrance to check in with Lissa later when she came to the club.

* * *

I hadn't moved from my seat by the bar since Roza and my bust up. I waited anxiously for the doors to open and for the girls to spill in. It was getting late and still a majority of the dancers weren't here yet. I glanced down at my wristwatch and scowled. _Nine o'clock._

Adrian was organising the final checks for the bar, while offering me glasses filled with generous amounts of vodka.

It was starting to get close to opening and the girls _never_ cut it this close. They would always be here at least an hour before opening. I would be lying if I said I wasn't getting worried.

The only thing keeping me from leaving my seat was that I knew she would be with her roommates.

I took a deep breath and knocked back the entire contents of my drink. I had to keep my nerves under control. I had no right to be scared for Roza, I had given up that a few short hours ago.

 _Why would you do that?_

I had regretted the words a soon as they left my lips. I shouldn't have let Abe dictate our relationship. I had a better chance of protecting her if I knew where she was and if I was with her. Ending our relationship only put her out of arms reach. I couldn't walk her home, I couldn't walk her to work and I couldn't protect her in the way I wanted to.

"You!"

Lissa's voice made me cringe with regret. I knew I had this coming and I deserved every seething word she had for hurting her best friend.

I looked up and made eye contact with Adrian standing behind the bar, his eyes widened and he let out a low whistle before taking a tentative step away from the bar.

I knew that women talked, and I had no doubt that when Roza would have returned to her apartment, Lissa would have made her spill on what had happened both last night and eventually a few hours ago.

I lifted my head to accept the words of punishment, meeting her green eyes that didn't seem as angry as I thought they would have been. I furrowed my brows as I tried to decipher how she felt about my sin.

Glancing past her, I noticed it was only Sydney with her. Where was Roza?

 _"Why are you so surprised?"_ a voice echoed in my head, _"Do you really think she would want to look at you after what you said to her?"_

Lissa stormed up to me, breaking me out of my inner conversation and slapped her hand over my upper arm. She may be a thin and frail looking woman, but she had power behind the slap.

"Ow," I mumbled as I covered the spot she had hit with my hand that wasn't holding my glass.

"What did you expect, huh? A welcoming party?" she sneered but there was hidden amusement in her eyes, almost like she was enjoying her task as angry best friend.

"Not exactly," I said defensively. Her eyes flash with confusion and her features morphed into something less angry.

Sydney brushed off my less-than-social attitude and took over the questioning for her stunned roommate, "Where's Rose, Belikov?" she laughed, "I thought she would be sitting with you?"

This time I was the one to be confused. I could feel my forehead crease as I looked at the blonde dancers standing in front of me and my entire demeaner changed instantaneously.

"What do you mean 'where's Rose'?" I repeated slowly and dangerously. The girls exchanged worried glances and I felt an immediate sickness form within me. This couldn't be happening.

"We thought she was with you," Lissa whispered softly.

" _Fuck,_ " I cursed in Russian, slamming my empty glass down onto the wood bar, " _I knew I shouldn't have let her walk away alone, I should have gone after her_!" I continued, my Russian tongue taking over completely as I lost myself entirely in my own fear.

"What did you do?" Sydney practically growled, taking a step closer to me, "Why did she run from you?"

I didn't know what to address first, her question or the fact that she understood Russian.

"W-why would Rose run away from you?" Lissa managed to stay despite her confused state, I didn't have a chance to answer before Adrian also threw his questions in, however they weren't directed to me.

"You know _Russian_?" he asked Sydney incredulously. Sydney merely rolled her eyes at her beau's comment and attempted to ignore his further ramblings, "Does that mean you can understand every word _they_ say?"

"Yes, Adrian," she sighed, "That's normally what happens when someone knows another language!"

If it had of been better circumstances, I would have found their exchange amusing. But that wasn't the case. Roza had never gone back to the apartment and she hadn't doubled back to the club. So where the hell was she?

I abruptly shot up from the chair and swayed slightly as my alcohol-clouded mind went fuzzy for a short second. I shook my head violently to regain clarity and pushed myself away from the bar, heading directly for the main entrance.

I faintly heard the girls and Adrian call my name out, but I was already out of the doors and stumbling onto the street.

The street was vastly different to how it had been just after sundown. The streets were busy with men walking around with expensively dressed women on their arms, music drifted down the street from the various array of establishments which kept the street alive and cars flew down the road.

There were too many lights and sounds for my mind to focus on; I just needed to find Roza. I should have asked the girls where she would have gone while upset, but once again I had acted without thinking everything though.

It was so unlike me. I always thought situations through entirely, weighing up its advantages and disadvantages. But since Roza, it had all been thrown out the door. She lived in the moment and did things as they came up, she was a free spirit and it seemed unconsciously, I was beginning to do the same.

My feet began taking me the familiar route to her apartment; I didn't bother looking as I crossed the busy street. A few cars showed their aggravation at my actions by cursing at me or reaching for their horns, but I barely acknowledged their annoyance and continued on my task. Finding Roza was my priority, even if she didn't want to be found.

I smashed through the glass doors leading into her building, not caring if they broke upon impact with the wall and charged up the stairs easily taking three steps at a time.

As I came around the corner, I brought my feet to a screeching halt. My body lurched at the sudden stop and I had to place a hand on the wall beside me to steady myself. My eyes were locked on the door which had a photograph taped clearly in the centre.

I looked down the deserted hall hesitantly before moving myself closer to the door. I held my breath as the photograph came into focus and I once my mind registered what the photo was of, I was sure that I would pass out.

The warm toned photo was my worst nightmare.

The photograph was based around a woman. I couldn't see her face due to the hair that was splayed out and covering her features as well as the cement surrounding her head.

The woman was lying on her back, her legs slightly tucked under herself, but by the limp look of her body, she hadn't been awake while the photograph had been taken and her arms were out of sight. Based on the tightness of her shoulders and the direction they pointed, the woman's hands were undoubtedly bound behind her back.

As I stared harder at the photograph, I questioned why this had been taped to Roza's door. But in a moment of clarity, I remembered Roza getting dressed this afternoon.

 _I watched from the bed as she undid the buttons of my shirt and pulled it off her torso, leaving her bare to my eyes. I groaned internally at the sight of her mostly naked body and had to resist the urge to hide her clothes._

 _She caught my hungry eyes and flashed me a man-eater smile, "You see something you like?"_

 _"Don't get dressed," I said huskily._

 _She smirked and threw my dress shirt at my face. I caught it and threw it back onto the bed in time to see her slowly stepping into the black slip. She let the silk run over her curves dramatically as she covered herself, knowing exactly what her movements were doing to me._

 _"You will be the death of me," I muttered, my voice hoarse and thick with lust._

The woman in the photograph was wearing a black slip, one that looked awfully like Roza's. I didn't want to come to the most likely conclusion here, but it was inevitable.

The bound and unconscious woman in the photograph was my Roza.

Someone had taken her, and I only needed one guess to know exactly who did it.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Okay guys, this AN is kind of important!_

 _Please don't hate Abe and Dimitri for this chapter! This chapter was planned to be out of the blue and full of moments of weakness, where the love they have for the same woman clouds their judgement. Everything is happening for a reason so please bear with me._

 _I'm also going to be MIA for a couple of weeks. I've got some kinks to work out for the second half of this story, and I don't want to be writing chapters that will have inconsistencies/plot holes._

 _In response to the Guest Review; I have been adding to the Miss Mazur epilogue for about a month now, but I do really want to get that finished and posted for you all. I hadn't forgotten about it, I just got really involved in writing 'Convince Me'. So, I'm going use the next couple of weeks to hopefully get that done as well._

 _-RCap_


	13. An Isolation

**_Author's Note:_**

 _I'm back a week earlier than I expected to be! I have fleshed out almost all my remaining chapters! We are looking at another 12 or so chapters but I may extend that depending on how I go._

 _From this point in, I will be marking the month the chapter is occurring in as there will be some time jumping from here on out (back and forwards)._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _This is a warning for the next few chapters. There are some scenes of physical and mental abuse. There will also some drug references/use so please continue reading with caution._

 _I've decided to edit this AN due to a couple of guest reviews. I don't like writing stories with rape, there will be **NONE** of that in this story. _

* * *

**_Rose._**

 ** _February 1925._**

I woke up surrounded by darkness. My eyes were unable to adapt to the blackness around me, nor make sense of where I was. My head pounded with a blinding pain, a migraine of sorts I could gather. I was no stranger to migraines but I had never had one like this before.

The pain is what I gathered was distorting my senses. I couldn't think properly or decipher anything around me. Every time I opened my eyes, I began to feel woozy and dizzy. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to wish away the pain. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves but almost gagged at the smell that I inhaled.

It wasn't a particularly bad smell. It was more the strength of it.

The area around me held a strong sterile smell, like chemicals had been used to scrub every single surface around me, but there was also the ever-present smell of cigarette smoke and even dope, unbelievably.

The clash in scents threatened to defile my senses, and yet I couldn't figure out where I was. There were just too many different scents, scents that all seemed to contradict each other and effectively, leaving me in the dark.

Once my breathing was under control and I was calmed down, I attempted to rub my eyes and clear my vision. It wasn't until then that I realized I couldn't move my arms, at all. All kinds of things played through my mind as to why I couldn't move them, but after some rough tugging pain finally began flowing through my body. This couldn't be good.

I couldn't even figure out where the pain was coming from, my entire awareness was so off that everything seemed to blur into one.

I tugged harder and more violently so that I could find the source of the pain. It didn't take long before I could feel fresh tears spring to my eyes and begin trailing down my cheeks. I was about to give up in finding the source of the pain when I felt the bite and burn of rope around my wrists.

 _Wrists?_

I could feel my heart begin to race and pound harder than it ever had in my chest as I began to panic. I struggled harder in my fear and attempted to ignore the searing pain that it was inflicting on the thin skin of my wrists.

The more I moved, the worse it got though. It wasn't long before the small bites turned into rope burn, and I could feel the rope finally sawing through the skin of my wrists.

What happened to me? Where was I? Who had done this to me?

I closed my eyes in defeat and I rolled myself off my side and over onto my back, gasping as coldness penetrated my skin too easily. My clothes began to dampen underneath me and I could feel the fabric of my clothes begin to soak up water.

I forced my eyes open again and attempted to take in my surroundings. It seemed that all the pain in my arms was distracting me from my migraine, so I used the lapse in mental torture to try and gauge where the hell I was.

After letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, I was able to guess that I was in some sort of basement and a basement that had a leak judging by the water I rolled into. The only exit seemed to be a tall staircase that led to a small strip of light undeath a door. I couldn't make out the door exactly, but it looked heavy.

I attempted to scope out my surroundings further but the darkness heavily impaired me. I could only hear the muffled sounds of boots walking on the floor above me, and even laughter and chatter.

I tried struggling against the ropes behind my back again but tired myself out quickly. I groaned in defeat and dropped my head back onto the cement underneath me. As the back of my head connected with the cement harder than I intended it to, my migraine returned full force as well as an array of sudden memories.

The flash of images ran through my mind, almost like a jagged talkie that made zero sense whatsoever.

Dimitri was staring down into my eyes with pain and guilt swirling in the gorgeous orbs as his lips moved but I couldn't hear anything he said. All I could feel was my heart ripping out of my chest and eventually pushing him away from me. I crossed the street and disappeared from the view of the club in a blur of car lights, glittering dresses, and laughing faces.

Why was I so mad at him? Why did I run from him? What had we been fighting about?

It didn't stop there, however, and I was soon walking along a dark street when screeching of a car tire cried into my head and I ran into the hard body of a man. I could feel relief flowing through my memories but then fear as a brick wall coming towards me, effectively leaving me in darkness.

I came back to myself on the basement floor and cringed as the pounding in my head continued. A migraine was still severely impairing my other senses and I tried to look around again. My vision only blurred and dragged as I looked around the dark room, but I couldn't miss the silent flicking of a flame coming from halfway up the staircase. The flame lit up the owner's face for a second. I couldn't make out their features well, but their voice was all too familiar.

"Kitten," the muffled voice sang from the stairs. The sound bounced off the walls of the enclosed room and dredged up a new wave of fear through me.

As the voice echoed towards me, I shivered with the realization of what had happened to me. Dimitri, the car, the two men and the brick wall. I didn't remember anything after that but my bound hands began making a lot more sense to me. The cut-up memories came together like a puzzle being finished and I remembered exactly what had happened.

* * *

 _"Love can fade, Roza. Give it time and there won't be anything more between us."_

 _I felt my heart rip out of my chest at his words. After everything we had been through the past month, he threw it away with a sentence like that. I tried to hold back the tears that began to itch at the back of my eyes but one traitorous tear escaped and began trailing down my cheek._

 _I felt his thumb move across from cheek as he went to smooth away the tear but I wasn't having it. How dare he say something like that to me and then expect to be able to comfort me._

 _That's not how the world works, and ill be damned if I let him break me down to a shell of a woman. I was Rose Hathaway, and I didn't stand for this shit._

 _I brought my arms up and broke his hands away from cupping my face, all sensitivity and vulnerability gone instantly and replaced with an all-American rage._

 _How fucking dare he touch me after that._

 _Don't. Touch. Me." I growled at him, watching his expression become even more pensive than before if that was possible._

 _Did he regret his words? Probably, but I was past the point of caring._

 _I held my hands in front of me as I walked backwards and put some distance between us, "Stay the hell away from me."_

 _Once I was satisfied that he had no intention of coming after me, I turned on my heel and pushed through the crowd of expensively dressed couples beginning their night, not looking back at my ex-lover even though I could feel his eyes burning holes into my back._

 _I continued walking away from the club and away from Dimitri. How could he of done that to me? After everything, he thought that I would be safer without him. Fucking Russian bastard._

 _I began walking quicker as the tears continued to fall down my cheeks heavily. This was a pain that I wasn't used to. I was used to physical pain, I was a dancer for god's sake, we have all kinds of injuries but they were nothing compared to the emptiness that I was currently sentenced with._

 _What did he expect me to do? Thank him for his ever so kind words? Not on the likely._

 _A car screeched up to the curb behind me and I didn't have time to fully comprehend what was happening before I heard a car door open and felt someone wrap their arms around me, clamping my arms to the sides of my body. I thrashed wildly as they picked me up off the ground and began dragging me towards the open car door._

 _Let go of me!" I screeched as my feet kicked out, hoping to connect with any area of my captor._

 _Stop struggling, Miss," the mystery man grunted in my ear. The feel of his breath on my face was enough to turn my stomach and threaten to empty my small dinner._

 _As I struggled, I thought back to what Dimitri had told me mere hours ago. He'd told me to use my weight and size to my advantage. I'd only have one shot at this, so I needed to make it count._

 _In an audacious move, I went limp. I let my entire body relax in order to throw him off guard, and surprisingly it worked. He grunted with my sudden dead weight before slightly loosening his hold on me, most likely just to readjust his hold of me._

 _I took his split-second mistake to make my escape._

 _Using what Dimitri had taught me, I struck my head backward and into his face, feeling the bone of his nose crush under the force. He released me to clutch at the bleeding mess and I ran._

 _I fucking ran._

 _I tore off back the way I had walked and towards the club, or more importantly towards Dimitri. Surely, I hadn't walked too far from the main street, I had only been going home._

 _But as I took in the streets names around me, I realized that I had walked much further than I had anticipated and in the wrong direction of my apartment._

 _My anger and grief had consumed my mind while walking and now I was nowhere near the club._

 _My heels clicked loudly against the cement as I ran and my breathing was ragged in pure fear. I thought above abandoning my heels complexly but I would waste time trying to get them off._

 _I wasn't sure who that man was that grabbed me, he hadn't seemed familiar to me at all. But I had a pretty good idea who he was working for, and I didn't have a good feeling about what would happen to me if he caught me._

 _As I rounded the corner, I glanced briefly at the street sign above._

 _I was almost at the club! Less than half a mile!_

 _In my distracted state, I didn't look as I ran around the corner and rammed straight into the hard body of a stranger. He gripped my shoulders as I made contact with his body, steadying me as I tried to right my footing._

 _I'm sorry, Sir…" I gasped out._

 _I was unable to find any other words as I looked up at the stranger. It took me a few seconds to recuperate, but I quickly realized that the man I had run into was no stranger to me._

 _He towered over me, his shoulder-length hair hung around his face as a cruel smile began appearing on his lips._

 _Kitten," he crooned. His voice was like nails on a chalkboard, but I was unable to cover my ears._

 _Isaiah._

 _He told you not to struggle."_

 _I was stuck. Fear had taken over my body and I was unable to move let alone utter a single word._

 _Everything that Dimitri had taught me disappeared from me, and I did the one thing he said not to._

 _I hesitated._

 _Come with us without a fight, and we won't hurt you," he smiled as he took a step towards me. As he took the step, my body recoiled and I in return took a step back._

 _No…" I whispered shaking my head slightly._

 _Very well then," he muttered before clearing his throat, "have it your way."_

 _I turned to run, my flight response suddenly filling me with adrenaline that assured me I could get out of this. All I had to do was outrun them._

 _I didn't get two steps away from Isaiah before I felt his hand cup the side of my head. The next thing I saw was the brick wall coming towards me fast and a dozen needles penetrating my head._

* * *

Lights flickered on around me and I winced as they took over my senses and pulled me from my extremely distressing memory. The abnormally white glow bounced off the brick walls and back to me, blinding me momentarily.

I blinked several times as white dots began dancing in my vision, and while my sight was temporarily taken from trying to adjust to the artificial light, I could hear the heavy footsteps of someone descending the wooden stairs. With every creek beneath their feet, I felt my body tensing up and wincing.

Whoever it was that had been calling me by a pet name, crouched down next to me on the floor. I still couldn't see him, but I could feel the heat of his body and smell the whiskey that clouded around him.

He sighed deeply and I could make out the rustling sounds of his clothes as he most likely sat back on his heels.

"Wakey-wakey."

The voice was muffled behind the pounding in my head and I attempted to shake my head violently a couple of times, as if it would shake the dots from my vision. But it did nothing to help clear my vision or hearing. A distressed sigh left my lips as I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and let my head rest back against the cold concrete floor. The coolness relaxed my headache slightly as I tried to control my erratic breathing, but I wasn't counting on it helping my other problems.

 _Click, Click._

My eyes shot open and I was met with the cold eyes of Isaiah. His face no longer obstructed by white dots or darkness. He was in full view with his hands on either side of my head, directly beside my ears. He repeated the action, clicking his fingers together to help snap my mind to attention.

Eventually, the world became a little clearer and the sounds around me became less muffled.

"Stop," I breathed weakly, attempting to roll my head away from his fingers.

"Now that you're awake," he grinned maliciously as his cold fingers trailed over my cheek and then combed through my hair on my left side.

I attempted to cringe away from him, I didn't want him touching me but his somewhat _gentle_ touch quickly turned ferocious and he gripped a hand full of my hair. I gasped in pain as he pulled me closer to him.

I looked up at him to meet his eyes but he wasn't looking at my face. He was looking at my legs. I followed his gaze and my eyes widened in shock before I hastily attempted to tuck my bare legs under myself.

They had undressed me. I was in nothing by my silk black slip. Where the fuck was my dress? My coat? My goddamn shoes even?

He relaxed his grip on my hair and went back to stroking the locks. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. This is what Dimitri was trying to avoid by ending things between us, and yet it had still happened. I was living our nightmare.

My skin puckered as his other hand began trailing up my bare leg; his hand was cold and left me with a sickening feeling in my stomach. I had no idea what was going to happen to me here, but it wasn't going to be my idea of fun. His maybe; but not mine.

"Do you know why we brought you here, Kitten?" he asked, tearing his gaze from my naked legs and back towards my face.

I tried to ignore that he said _we_ instead of just himself, but I knew that this wasn't Isaiah's doing. He wasn't smart enough to pull something like this off nor did he have any ingenuity to think of something like this in the first place.

No, I knew who was behind this and slowly I was beginning to piece together everything that had happened and trace it back to _him_.

"Dimitri," I whispered to myself so softly that even I had trouble hearing it, but Isaiah didn't miss it.

This had never been about me. It had always been about Dimitri. I was simply a pawn in their plan in doing what they wanted to Dimitri.

"You really are one exquisite creature," a new voice breathed from the staircase, "Beautiful _and_ smart. But perhaps a little modest."

All these men. Every word that spilled from their lips sounded vile and pretentious. At this point, I would rather them kill me than torture me with their conceited words. Nathan was no different and even though he seemed to be complimenting me, I sure didn't take it that way.

I looked up at Nathan who as now in full view to me, and I suppressed an obvious shudder at the grin on his face. He was loving this far too much. He knew that I hated being around him, and he knew that if he had been more focused on me when he shot at me, I would be dead right now.

I took in the high-class suit that annoyingly made him look incredibly attractive. Nathan was, unfortunately, a man of somewhat class compared to the other mob members I knew. He held himself higher than the others but he also expected more.

It had been a while now since the night he shot both Aaron and myself, but the image was still in my head. When I looked at Nathan, I saw the hate engrained in his eyes, nothing could break the coldness he portrayed when he stared at you. I had seen that hate that night and there was not a time I had seen him since then, that he didn't have the same hate glowing darkly.

I scoffed at his attempt of flattery but the sound caught in my throat and came out more of a strangled cry. I attempted to move away from Isaiah again, and surprisingly, he let me. He released the grip he had on me and stood from his crouching position. I watched nervously as he walked away from me, joining Nathan by the staircase.

He leant causally against the pillar, smirking as he dug into the front pockets of his vest and produced another cigarette. Nathan stepped forward like it was his turn to harass me after Isaiah was done with his own petting.

He crouched beside me, but I refused to show how affected I truly was with his presence. I didn't want to show any more fear than I had to. I would be strong.

"What makes me so _modest_ then?" I groaned.

Nathan smiled cunningly down at me before responding, "You're modest, my dear because you believe this is about Dimitri."

"Is it not?"

He merely shrugged, "It may have been in the beginning, but after following the two of your for so long, it was no surprise that you took more of my interest. You are much prettier to look at and there is so much that you could do for us."

I rolled my eyes in an attempt to keep up a strong front, "What could I possibly do for you?"

Both the men began laughing, like schoolboys who were getting their first taste of a woman. The sounds did make me cringe this time and I could feel my skin crawl as if their giggles were tiny bugs under my skin.

"Perhaps just a little fun," Nathan breathed, "More fun than the Dragomir girl. I don't know why I was so interested in her when it should have been you all along."

"You're neurotic" I chuckled nervously.

"No, dove. I'm not. I'm _psychotic,_ " he laughed back, stroking the backs of his fingers over my cheekbone.

"There's no _fucking_ difference," I spat back, getting tired of this game he was playing easily.

"Oh but there is, want to know it?"

"Indulge me then," I sighed, rolling my eyes.

I felt him lean in closer to me, so close that I could feel his breath on my neck and feel his stubble on my cheek.

"Neurotic affects me, whereas psychotic affects _you_."

I looked back at him in shock of his words. This was all becoming too much. This was just part of a game that he enjoyed playing, no matter how unwilling the other participants were. He did it with Lissa, eventually killing Aaron when she refused to play along and now he was doing it to me.

"What the hell is this to you? Some sort of game?" I yelled, instantly regretting it at my throat caught fire and my head pounded once more.

"It's all a game, dove. Hide and seek if you will."

"And who are you intending to be the seeker?" I laughed lowly, ignoring the different types of pain that were shooting through me.

"Why I didn't think that would be a question."

 _Dimitri._

I took a deep breath, " _He_ won't try to find me. We are nothing more acquaintances that used to fuck." I flinched at the harshness of my own words as I spoke them, but I guess it was true now. We weren't together anymore but I would still try to keep him out of this as much as I possibly could.

"Do you really think that he wouldn't come looking for you? Especially after the present we left for him?" Nathan laughed.

What the hell was he talking about? A present? What had he done to Dimitri?

As if noticing my sudden panic, he continued on further. "Is it not the perfect game of hide and seek if you do not leave clues?"

"What did you do?" I growled maliciously, but I doubt he saw me as anything but an angry kitten. Nothing but harmless.

"Don't fret too much, darling. We merely sent him a memento to get his blood pumping."

All of our attentions were diverted when a loud clanging of a bolt unlocking emitted from the top of the stairs and a new figure began descending down to the basement.

What I found both curious and unnerving at the same time, was that this man was dressed in a white coat with a small black leather bag in his hands, nothing compared to Nathan and Isaiah's expensive vests and dress shirts.

Nathan got up from his crouching position and took a step back from me, giving the 'white coat' direct access to me.

I searched the new man's features as there was something weirdly familiar about him. His chiselled face and light brown eyes struck something in me. I had seen them before, but not on him. A brother maybe? It wouldn't be surprising that this new visitor would have a connection to the Mob somehow, and if he was helping, it would more than likely be a family member.

But who did he look like? Who was it that he reminded me so much of.

"Good morning, Rosemarie. How are you feeling today?" he asked, his voice soft and nursing as if he knew that I was battling a headache.

 _Wait, morning?!_ I distinctly remember it being just after sundown when I had fled from Dimitri. They must have thrown me hard into that brick wall for me to be out until the next morning.

"It's just Rose," I managed to croak out, my voice was hoarse and it hurt to utter more than a single word.

"Well, _just Rose_. How are you feeling?" he said again as he came and crouched beside me.

He smiled kindly down at me, but I knew to know better than to trust someone who was in cahoots with Nathan. His smile may appear kind, but I already knew this 'doctor' was going to be anything but kind.

"Peachy," I managed to say through clenched teeth.

I heard Isaiah's shrill of laugher and cringed, he knew I was lying and for sure and so did my new medic.

"Really?" he grinned over me showing a set of perfect and pearly teeth, "So if I were to oh-say clap in your ear, you would exhibit no response?"

I stayed quiet, not wanting to give away that I really _didn't_ want him to do that. If anything, his grin only got wider and he brought his hands to my ear, bringing them together harshly and loudly.

The sound rang through my ears and involuntarily cried out as the pain hit me behind my eyes. The semi-permanent buzzing that I had been subjected to became an all-out screeching as I waited for the echoed clapping to stop.

I was momentarily shoved back into the cage of pain, helpless as I was blinded by the flashing white light.

All I wished for, was the darkness and silence that I had been dumped in prior.

"Hmm, that's what I thought," the doctor grinned as he opened the bag beside him. God only knew what was in there.

"Now that we are so acquainted. Do I call you my crooked nurse?" I seethed.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as if he was amused by his words and he looked up momentarily from his bag. " _Just_ _Luka_ is fine."

I watched as he pulled out a small glass vial with a clear liquid in it out, before placing it on the concrete next to me and digging back through the bag. I tried to read the small vial's label but my vision was still heavily distorted and refused to focus on the writing.

What I did see clearly though was the injecting syringe that appeared in his hands before dipping into the vial. Panic surged through me at the sight of it and I tried to edge myself away from Luka. There was no way that I was letting him stick that needle in me.

He noticed my struggle and suddenly Isaiah was crouching down, picking me up by my shoulders and sitting me steadily in front of Luka. I pushed myself away from Luka, hoping that it would buy me some time to think of a way out of here.

But I was just too weak and all I achieved was pushing myself deeper into Isaiah grasp. My body was betraying me and giving up before it even had had a chance to fight.

"You need to stay still, Kitten." Isaiah murmured into my ear as he threaded his arm between my bound hands, while also leaving my elbows straight and giving Luka a good vantage point.

"What is that?" I gasped out, my eyes not leaving the syringe that was still collecting the fluid.

"It's just something to help you sleep," Luka grinned, pulling the point out and flicking the container a couple of times.

"What, you aren't gonna buy me dinner first?" I laughed nervously, while still attempting to break my arms free of Isaiah's grasp. I knew it was no use, but there was no harm in me trying.

"If you struggle, it will only hurt more," he warned as he came towards me. I flinched as his cold hand wrapped behind my elbow and used his thumb and index finger to stretch the thin skin that covered my veins.

I struggled once more, but Isaiah tightened his grip on my arms, which shot pain up through my right arm and into my shoulder. I cried out in shock at the unexpected and searing pain it caused. Using my distracted state, Luka took his window of opportunity and I soon felt the sting of the needle pierce through the skin in my arm.

For half a second, I felt the uncomfortable and painful shock of the needle pressing into me. But then as if had never been there, the pain was replaced with pure euphoria. Something that couldn't be replicated in real life.

I heard myself gasp and felt as if my entire body became numb and tingly. I visually slumped in Isaiah's arms, as Luka wasted no time in injecting the fluid, pushing the plunger down quickly and effortlessly. I felt the dope spreading through me and mixing with my blood as my body switched from hot to cold constantly, trying to adjust to the new drug invading my bloodstream.

It was within mere seconds that I felt myself begin to fade. I wasn't exactly a stranger to drugs. They were something we indulged in occasionally or brought into a party. But a cocaine high was nothing compared to this. This felt like a pure opiate that I had no business getting involved with.

Isaiah released the death grip he had on my arms and I fell back into his chest. He wrapped an arm around my waist, hugging me close to his crouched form and brushed the hair back from my face before also pressing his lips to my cheekbone lightly.

The entire feeling of his hold on my body, his hand caressing my hair and lips on my cheek felt wrong and unnatural, but I was in no condition to fight it. Especially when whatever drug Luka had put into me was making my vision blur and double rapidly.

The euphoric feeling slowly began to drag me deeper into its captive hold and I felt as if I was sinking into quicksand. I couldn't do anything to stop it at this point, I could only sink further into an abyss than beckoned me with an enthusiastic tug.

Isaiah continued his hold on me until everything began fading into darkness around me. My eyelids became heavy and fluttered between open and closed while also leaving me with only a small ability to hear around me.

The entire world shifted and spun as Isaiah scooped me up into his arms and began walking, it was Nathan who spoke but his words didn't scare me like they should have. The drugs were doing exactly what they were meant to; make me placid and easy to manage.

"Let's get her into lockdown," Nathan grunted.

That was the last thing I heard before I couldn't reopen my eyes and I felt the mental quicksand finally consume me.

* * *

 _Hello to all my lovely readers,_

 _I have posted a poll on my profile as I have had three ideas for my next FanFic. I would love if you could vote on which you would like to see as I can't decide which one to write! I'm not sure if you can vote without an account, so if not, please just write a review and let me know xx_

 _-RCap_


	14. A Weakness

_**Author's Note:**_

 _Just reiterating that this is not a rape story_.

 _*This chapter is unedited, I only did a quick read through as I wanted to get it up ASAP to you guys*_

* * *

 _ **Dimitri.**_

 _ **February 1925.**_

Roza had been taken

She had been taken and it was all my fault. I should have listened to Abe, I knew what was best for her. I knew that I should have stayed with her and protected her, but I let him get to me. I let him cloud my judgment as his own had been.

I ripped the photograph from the door and sunk down to the ground, my back resting against her apartment's front door as I stared at the photograph in my hands. I felt tears begin to spring into my eyes and I folded the piece of tape at the top of the photograph behind the photo. My fingers glided over her photographed form and they trembled in both fear and anger.

I had no idea where she was or what was happening to her. I didn't know how they had taken her or if they had injured her. I might as well have been walking around a room blindfolded. I was clueless.

I folded the photograph in my hands and covered my eyes with my palms as I tried to control my reaction. I needed to be strong here and I needed to find her. While peeling my hands away from my face, my eyes caught the markings of something on the back of the photograph and I wiped the forming tears from my eyes so I could see it better.

On the back of the photo was the number one. Nothing but the number one. What kind of relevance could this have to him taking Roza?

I stood from my sitting position and shoved the photograph into my duster's pocket, not caring if it became crumpled or damaged. It was hardly the type of photograph of Roza that I wanted to admire or keep for that matter.

I had to speak to Mason. He worked with Nathan, surely, he would know what kind of person he was and what he was up to.

It didn't take me long to get back to the club, and as I walked in I was assaulted by the very alive club. Since I had run out, the night had begun and the club was starting to fill up. I pushed past those that were waiting to be let in, Grant allowing me easy access through the doors. Even in my haste, I didn't miss some of the men making a fuss at me not having to wait.

The music was loud and it filled every available space, they hadn't yet had the opening number by my guess, but the crowd laughed and chatted while eagerly awaiting the night to begin. It still surprised me how full this club would get on a Sunday night, and I didn't think I would ever get used to it.

I used my abnormal height to scan the crowd, looking for any sign of Mason but I wasn't having any luck. I groaned and spun around to look by the bar and caught the flash of red hair that I was looking for.

Once again pushing past patrons, I stormed up behind Mason, effectively scaring whatever woman he was talking to away. I glared at her from over his shoulder and watched as her golden coloured eyes widened in fear before glancing back at Mason.

"I-I gotta go," she stammered out before practically falling off the stool.

"You gotta stop with the glaring, man," Mason grunted before even turning around to face me. He knew it had been me. I wasn't sure how exactly, but over time I had come to realize how perceptive Mason really was.

He was smart and observant, often seeing things that others wouldn't have. It meant the Mob underestimated him and gave us an edge.

"Where's Rose? I haven't seen her yet tonight?" he smiled while placing a cigarette between his lips.

"Funny," I darkly chuckled. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

I took the photograph out of my pocket, placing it on the bar in front of him. He stared at it with wide eyes as he slowly removed the unlit cigarette from his mouth and looked closer at the contents of the image.

He squinted before coming to the realization I was waiting for. "Is that Rose?" he exclaimed, looking up at me with a very concerned expression.

I nodded a couple of times before continuing, "I was hoping you would know something about it."

I could see Mason's face contort with confusion and even annoyance at my claim and he quickly jumped to defend himself.

"Why the _fuck_ ," he began loudly, "would you think that I-"

I interrupted him, taking the photograph from his fingers, and turning it so that he could see the number on the back. His eyes refocused and his words caught in his throat. I could see the realization cross his face and he slumped into the stool behind him.

"Well fuck," he mumbled.

"I take it you know that the number means?" I growled.

He nodded before beckoning over Adrian and ordering "something strong". Adrian gave us both wary looks before pulling out a glass for him and topping it up with moonshine. Without hesitation, Mason took the glass in his hand and gulped down the entire contents of it.

That was not the reaction that I was hoping for. I wasn't sure what I was hoping for really, but that was _definitely_ not it.

"What does the number mean?" I once again asked with a growl.

Mason chuckled and shook his head, "Can't you see what he's doing, Belikov? He's playing a game with you. That's Nathan's thing. _Games_."

I gaped at his words. This was a game to him? Roza's life meant nothing if not something to play with? Something to dangle in front of me like a bone to a dog?

"Where would he be keeping her?" I snapped looking back at the photograph and trying to see where she might be.

Mason merely shrugged and blinked unknowingly at the photograph. "I'm not sure. But you should find out soon."

"How so?" I asked slowly, narrowing my eyes slightly as he sighed and flipped the image over again.

"That number is the beginning. Like a trail. He's gonna leave you clues and shit. I can guarantee this one was just to mess you up, there won't be any real substance behind this one."

I swiped the photograph back and stuck it in my pocket just as Mason began his second capped drink of moonshine. Grimacing slightly, I realized I would need his words for Abe. I grabbed the collar of his dress shirt and pulled him out of his chair.

"What the fuck!" he yelled, flailing slightly as he fell from the chair and the glass tumbled to the ground.

I didn't answer him, only pushed him through the crowd until we reached the entrance to the offices behind the stage. Once Mason realized where we were going, he righted his vest and even smoothed back his hair before mumbling to me, "He's gonna hate you for this."

"It's his fault this happened," I growled back, Mason simply rose an intriguing eyebrow and then shrugged before pushing open the doors and heading straight for Abe's office.

I was certain that Abe would have heard the dancers talking about the fight between Roza and me earlier tonight, and if the smug look on his face was any indication, I would say I was right.

He knew that he had gotten his way in the end, but what he didn't know was what had happened since then. He was in for one hell of a shock.

I planned to confront him calmly and tell him what had happened, but as I looked at him sitting in his chair with a shit-eating grin on his face, I couldn't hold it back.

The anger in my ignited - like gasoline to a flame – and I had made my way around his desk before anyone in the office had a chance to react. Even Abe didn't seem to notice what had happened, not when I pulled him from his chair by the front of his shirt, and not when I shoved him against the brick wall behind him.

I could faintly hear everyone around me scramble to attention, my act had taken everyone off guard. I could see in my peripherals that Pavel was stalking towards me, but he was no concern of mine. All I was focused on what Abe.

"This is your fault," I growled so low that only he could hear.

The shouting in the office became louder and we both turned to investigate the chaos that I had brought on. My brothers had followed me into the office without me even noticing, jumping to make sure that no one came up behind me.

Men were yelling and arguing left, right and center.

"Boy, if you value your hands, you will take them off me."

The threat didn't convince me to unhand him at all. My hands were the least of my concern. "She's gone, and it's your fault."

"I was just protecting my daughter. If she's run away from you, so be it," he sneered, the snake in him coming out to play.

I shook my head and shoved him into the wall a bit harder this time, visually rattling him and Pavel alike.

I almost felt bad for the stress I was about to bestow upon him, and as much as I wanted to hate him for what he said and made me do, I knew that I was also partly to blame.

I'd succumbed to his words and let him make my choices for me. _That_ would never happen again.

I shoved him away from me and as took a step back, the room instantly began to die down around us and relax again. I could see how riled up my boys were, they were just itching for someone to throw a punch.

I narrowed my eyes at Abe while he brushed down the front of his shirt, scowling slightly as he noticed to extreme crumpling from my hands. I reached into my pocket and let my fingers brush over the photograph. I didn't need to have the photograph in front of me to see it, I had it pretty much memorized by now.

I took it out slowly and as Abe caught my eye, I could see he knew that something wasn't right. As I placed the photo on the desk, Abe's entire demeanor changed as he stared at it from afar.

"Get out," he mumbled, catching the attention of only some of the men around us.

He looked up at the faces that stared blankly back at him, "Get out!" He boomed this time, loud enough to make even my own men flinch.

They began filing out and my eyes grazed over Mason as he tried to slink into the crowd as well. He wasn't getting out of this as easy, I needed him to explain. "Ashford! You stay."

Mason looked back at me and scowled before giving in and walking back into the office, the only remaining men were myself, Mason, Ivan, and Pavel.

"Is this a joke?" Abe seethed towards me.

"Does it look like a fucking joke? He was just waiting for his opportunity to pounce and you handed it to him," I sneered back, fighting internally to hold back the rage that was bubbling within. I needed to keep myself under check. It wouldn't do any good to get violent again.

"You left her to walk the streets alone?" Abe scoffed, not looking up from the photograph.

" _Son of a bitch,_ " I growled in Russian as my last string of control snapped. How dare he try to turn this around on me.

I swung at him without thinking, catching us both off guard as my fist connected with his jaw with a jarring snap. Everything around me seemed to move in double time as both Ivan and Pavel lunged to keep me back, but I had no interest in getting another shot in. One was enough for me.

I continued to sneer as Abe chuckled darkly while holding his jaw. I could see that the dark brown eyes he shared with Roza had almost blackened over. I was sure if it was due to his daughter being taken or that fact that I hit him for it.

"Fighting isn't going to get Rose back," Pavel interjected from a distance. Clearly, he didn't want to get in-between our squabbling but he also didn't want it escalating. I could only breath a sigh of relief that I hadn't instigated a riot by throwing the punch in front of my men. That would have been the only excuse they needed to follow in my footsteps.

Beside me, Abe ran a hand through his hair before taking a deep breath and turning to me. "How did you get this?"

"It was taped to her door as if he knew I would go straight there to find her," I muttered before taking a step away from him.

It seemed no matter how hard I tried; I couldn't bury the anger that was burning in me when I looked at him. I could have protected her and I could have stopped this from happening if he had of believed that I could.

This time Abe looked to Mason and his glare returned, solely focused on the redhead. I could see Mason visually pale at being Abe's new victim, but I didn't feel bad at all. If there was anyone who could help us, it was he.

He knew the Mob inside and out; he knew exactly what Nathan was playing at upon seeing the photograph. But it was evident that he had no clue where the photograph had actually been taken. It was our blind spot. But if we found Nathan, we found Roza.

"Where was this taken?" he said remarkably calmly.

All of us turned to face Mason and it was impossible to miss the gulp and bob of his throat. "I-I don't know, Mr. Mazur. All I know if that Nathan lives in an apartment block, so he doesn't have a basement to keep her. He must have found somewhere else."

I groaned loudly in annoyance before walking over to the couch and slumping into it, letting the leather and cushion swallow me. I hung my head in my hands and fought the urge to yell and begin hitting something, lest it be Abe or Mason.

My entire life had flipped upside down in a matter of hours. Just this morning, I had woken up with Roza in my arms after a night of showing her just how much I loved her. Since then I had more mistakes with her than I had in my entire life.

As much as I wanted to blame Abe wholeheartedly for this, I knew deep down that I also played a major role is Roza's abduction. If this had of been a test for my dedication to Roza, I would have failed. Any man, who wanted to keep his love safe, wouldn't have done what I did. He wouldn't have thrown her love back in her face for the sake of what 'might' help her.

I was just as much to blame as Abe was, and that was the most gut-wrenching part.

I retired instantly to the bar; leaning over while Adrian wasn't looking and swiping the entire bottle of standard that he kept for me. I didn't even bother picking up a glass, all I wanted was to drown my sorrows and deal with this in the morning.

But the more that I sat there, contemplating how exactly I was going to save Roza, the more I realized I knew nothing about where she was. The only thing I had to go on was the picture.

"Don't beat yourself up," Mason said to me, taking up the seat next to mine and clapping his hand onto my shoulder.

I looked up from the bottle to stare at the hand and he quickly tore it away, hopefully sensing that I didn't appreciate it.

"There isn't much you can do, at least not tonight anyway."

An idea suddenly sprung to my mind. One that may not necessarily be a good one, but it was definitely one that I could go with. But if I exposed my plan, I wouldn't get out of this club to do it. I had to be sneaky.

"You said you knew where Nathan lived?" I asked as inconspicuously as I could manage, but then again, I couldn't do much with the question that I asked.

When I didn't hear him respond, I knew that I had failed in my futile attempt to be secretive.

"That depends, Belikov," he eventually said and I looked to him hopefully. "What are you planning on doing if I give it to you?"

"Nothing…really," I mumbled while looking back down at the bottle.

* * *

As I stood in front of the door, I knew that this was a bad idea. But I couldn't stop myself.

I looked at the wooden door in front of me and I could only imagine the secrets that lied behind it. It gave me the push to knock on the door. I would rather take down someone inside while they were caught off guard, rather than beat down the door and deal with someone already prepared for an attack.

I knocked a few other times, getting no response each time. Testing my luck, I even went as far as seeing if it was unlocked, I exhibited no surprise when luck wasn't on my side.

I glanced quickly around the empty hallway before putting all my force behind my leg and pushing it into the lock. The door gave easily and swung open to reveal a pristine apartment.

I clicked on the light and began walking around the apartment carefully and quietly. The place looked borderline perfect, much like my own did. Not a thing was out of place or messy. There was an odd homely sense to this apartment, while mine was masculine and could be considered cold with the bare furnishings; his had a touch of what could only be considered as soft.

Not only did Nathan live here, but a woman did as well.

The touches were discrete but hard to miss. There were some candles strewn through the rooms, while also a hearty blanket thrown over the back of the sofa. In the bedroom, there were sleek and professional clothes that were hung up, clothes that would belong to someone who worked in a corporate or assistant setting.

My eyes were caught briefly when they grazed over the female occupant's vanity. The moonlight caught on something that had been thrown in a glass bowl among the piles of female jewelry; the glistening of black shungite stone was unmistakable.

It captured my attention instantly and I made my way over towards the vanity to look closer at it, the string of stones that had been perfectly shaped into small beads and strung onto string was mine. But when had he gotten this? How could he have acquired the bracelet that my youngest sister had made for me while I was incarcerated?

I could have easily blown it off and said it was just a trinket he bought, but the distinctive carving of my initials into one of the beads was a giveaway. This was mine and he had stolen it from me without me even knowing.

When my fingers touched the beads, I was filled with the same cold and chilling feeling I had had several weeks ago before sending Jesse on his way to San Francisco. I had walked into my apartment and immediately felt like I was interrupting someone while they were breaking in.

Finding my own bracelet in his apartment was only firmly established that there had in fact been someone in there that day. The anger flowed through me like lava and I felt it all the way to my fingertips.

I picked up the first thing I could find and threw it at the nearest wall. The glass jar that held an assortment of cosmetic brushes shattered and ricochet off the wall, covering the ground below. I thought briefly about cleaning it up but then dismissed the idea as quickly as it arose. Fuck him. Let him find a broken jar in his bedroom. Let him know that I invaded the space of his partner, just as he had done to mine.

I left the bedroom and crossed the hall to what looked like a study of some kind. I headed straight for the trashed desk. The only part of this apartment that seemed to be disorganized. I could only imagine that it would the only place where his girlfriend wouldn't be allowed to go in.

I began rifling through the assorted papers on his desk, not making much sense of any of them. The only thing I noticed was that there was a notepad that had several illegible scribbles on it. The header of the notepad had been stamped with the name of what I could only imagine was part of the Mob's front.

 _L. K. Kollman Medical Centre._

I didn't expect the Mob to use a medical center as a front, but then again, they didn't work like we did in the Bratva. There were several differences that I couldn't count on just my two hands.

I ripped the top page clean off the pad and stuffed it into my pocket before hastily making my way back to the front door. Hopefully, there would be something on the paper that could be of use…hopefully.

* * *

It was the next night when I was returning to my apartment, that I received the second photograph.

Perhaps my breaking into Nathan's apartment must have angered him more than I had initially thought it would. I was hoping to rile him up, but its possible I didn't think of the repercussions of what could actually happen.

I should have stayed home. I shouldn't have let Mason give me Nathan's address and I shouldn't have snooped. But the fact that he retaliated like this meant that I probably saw something he didn't want me to see.

 _The notepad._

I needed to get the page I ripped off to Abe and Mason, see if they could decipher something I couldn't.

The photograph had been taped to my own door this time and when I spotted it, my entire body went rigid and tensed up. Was I ready to see another photograph of Roza like this?

I waited until I got the courage before moving towards the door. I even gave a hesitant look down the empty corridor as if they could be watching me.

Roza was still the photograph's object of affection. It's primary focus being on her sleeping form. She seemed to no longer be in a basement. I could see a bruise lurking around her temple, blending into her hairline and ranging in different shades of darkness.

If only we could see these pictures in color, I would at least have been able to see how bad the bruising was. But I could only hope that it wasn't as bad as it looked. She looked peaceful, which was a vast difference to the previous photograph.

Mason's words echoed in my head, his talk of Nathan's enjoyment for games and all the cryptic shit that he could think of. I flipped the photograph over, and sure enough, in perfect cursive and with the number two placed in front of it, were words that chilled me to my core.

 _Opium in her veins; an invisible golden chain._

This was what Mason was talking about. He was goading me. He was giving me something to latch onto, albeit it was small and probably wouldn't lead me to anything substantial but that was most likely his plan. He didn't want to make it too easy for me to find her.

But I didn't care that he was goading me, I was solely focused on his written words.

I felt the panic begin to knot in my chest and my body began to vibrate with fear. I needed to get inside. I threw myself into the apartment just as my breathing became more rapid, shallower. My eyes scanned the apartment as my panic grew and I stumbled into the kitchen and tried to brace myself against the counter.

My thoughts were accelerating inside me, I needed them to slow but like a mantra, they screamed at me, unwilling to be ignored or dismissed.

 _Opium in her veins; an invisible golden chain. Opium in her veins; an invisible golden chain._

My heart was hammering in my chest as I tried to calm myself, but in seconds, the kitchen around me begun to spin and I had to squat to the floor. I pushed myself into the cabinets behind me, my only movements being the trembling of my limbs and my salty tears staining my cheeks.

The panic transformed from something my fingers can pierce holes though, into a barrage of ice surrounding my every limb, climbing higher and higher until it passed my mouth and nose.

That was when it became absolute. The panic shut down my body as fast as a quart of alcohol, and as my vision blurred around me, I felt my knees give out and I hit the kitchen floor hard; my last coherent thought being the source of my attack.

 _Opium in her veins; an invisible golden chain._

* * *

I woke up to someone shaking me violently, every sense urging me to claw my way to standing.

I felt my legs kick out under me but slip on the floor below me and cause me to hit the back of my head of the cabinet.

" _Fuck!_ " I yelled in Russian, while bring my hands up to cup the back of my head. I squeezed my eyes shut while I waited for the pain to subside and as the pain slowly dissipated, I opened my eyes to meet those of my awakener. Ivan.

"What the fuck do you want?" I cursed loudly, not trying to hide the disdain and annoyance in not only my voice but also my face.

Ivan's face only broke out with a gigantic smile as he gazed down at my sitting form. "Did you sleep there last night? Fuck, Dimka! I didn't even notice you there when I came home!"

I took in my surroundings, the fresh light of morning illuminating my kitchen and a bare-chested Ivan. It seemed that I had indeed slept on the kitchen floor last night. My panic attack had ultimately knocked me out for the remainder of the night.

Upon remembering the panic attack, I remembered the photograph and instantly became frantic. I pushed myself onto my knees and quickly scanned the floor for the distressing image.

"Where is it!" I yelled at myself when I couldn't find it, cursing myself internally for losing it.

"Are you talking about this?"

I looked up to see Ivan holding up the black and white image in his hand. I sighed deeply before heaving myself finally to my feet and reaching for it.

"He sent another then, huh?"

I nodded and hung my head in shame. This was eating me alive. The fear of what was happening to Roza wherever she was and my incompetence to help her was devouring me whole.

"Did you show this to Abe?"

"Not yet. It was on the door when I got home. I got a bit preoccupied as it seems," I mumbled while folding the picture up and shoving it in my back pocket.

Ivan raised an eyebrow before opening his mouth to comment. But I wasn't in the mood for his pity or his words of wisdom so I promptly cut him off with the rise of my hand.

He took the hint, thankfully, and snapped his mouth shut with a slight frown. "I'm gonna take a shower. In an hour we're heading back to the club. Be ready."

I waited for Ivan to stand by the command, and once he had nodded in confirmation I stalked towards the bathroom.

I stepped into the shower and let the thousands of burning drops douse me like a blanket. As the water seeped into my skin and trickled down my back, my eyes fell closed and I braced my hands on the ceramic wall of the shower and let my tears mix with the water. I just couldn't stop the onslaught of pain the dug through me.

It was as everlasting as the water was.

 _Opium in her veins; an invisible golden chain._

An image of Roza twirling on the main stage flashed briefly behind my eyes and I was so caught up in the image that I felt my knees begin to buckle beneath me and before I could fortify myself, several other imagines ran through me like a twisted assortment of memories that were taunting me.

Images of Roza beneath me during our nights together, her laughing and smiling at me and even me teaching her to fight continued their onslaught until they reached the point of her disappearance. The vision of her refusing my comfort and walking away from me snapped me out of my inner medley and I saw red.

I punched the first thing I saw, which happened to be the unsuspecting tile on the shower. As my fist connected with the tile, I heard a small crunch, which I wasn't sure, came from the tile or me exactly. But as I felt no pain, I decided to recommence with my mutilation of the tile until it was just crumbled ceramic in the wall.

My fist bled profusely and I stared at it curiously, like it was the first time I was watching blood cover my hand. The more it bled, the more is mixed with the water at the base of the shower and I watched it swirl down the drain like a harsh reminder of my failure to protect Roza.

I didn't emerge from the shower until the bleeding had subsided and my skin had an overpowering red tinge to it. But once my hand was wrapped, I was ready to return to the club. I collected Ivan and we made our way to the closed club. I knew that I probably looked like utter shit, but I'd gotten to a point where I didn't care anymore.

The new photograph and riddle that Nathan had bestowed upon us had traumatized Abe as much as it had me. Although, he handled it much better than I did.

Abe had immediately summoned Mason to the club and while waiting for him to arrive; I tested the mobility of my right hand. It was still sore and definitely tight from this morning's antics, but the stabbing pain had subsided into a dull ache.

Mason was just as stumped as I, which was no surprise really. What was a surprise was Eddie Castile barging through the closed doors.

Everyone in the room tensed and jumped into action. We may have one American Mob member now on our payroll, but I was pretty certain we didn't have two. Before we had a chance to approach or even apprehend the gangster, he charged straight for Mason and ignored the rest of us.

"You're a fucking idiot, Mason!" Eddied exclaimed, pushing him by his shoulders and causing him to stumble back slightly. I could see the fire alight in Mason's eyes at his best friend for not only pushing him but also calling him out in front of all of us.

"Fuck off, Castile. I haven't done shit wrong!"

It was like watching a car wreck. No one could tear his or her eyes away from the fight erupting in front of us, while at the same time none of us actually did anything to prevent it either. We just let them at it, almost hoping for something exciting to happen.

"Then what do you call this, huh?" Eddie flustered, snatching the photograph straight from Abe's hand and pointing to something we couldn't see.

"Son of a bitch," Mason breathed after a few silent moments. "Fucking surgical tape! Why didn't I spot that before?"

Mason ripped the photograph from Eddie and studied it closer before pulling back the tape that I had secured to the back last night. What did the method of adhesion have to do with anything?

"Surgical tape?" Ivan question, "She's at a hospital?"

I could hear the incredulously in his voice as he spoke, and I wasn't far behind. Why would Nathan go to all the trouble of abducting Roza, only to take her to a hospital where she could be easily tracked down?

"No, they wouldn't take her where she could be found. They would take her somewhere secret." Mason mused while Eddie stood impatiently waiting for him to connect the dots that he already had.

"What kind of secret society has surgical tape?" I groped, trying to piece together what connection Nathan would have to the medical field.

"Not secret. _Illegal_." Eddie asserted while staring still at Mason.

I could see the exact moment that everything pieced together for Mason. His eyes widened and then twinkled with fulfillment. They were both seeing a full picture now, but the rest of us were still seeing one with several holes.

"Fuck! How did you even piece that together? Are you sure?" Mason yelled borderline excitedly.

"I'm pretty sure. I was doing a job for Damian and as I was walking down the hall of the clinic, I could have sworn I heard her voice. She was talking to Luka. They must have been talking about something pretty sensitive because as soon as Williams called out to me, they shut up."

Mason stayed quiet for a moment as if he was weighing up an option of some kind. But all I could focus on was the fact that Eddie had heard her voice. She was alive and talking. But I still had a heap of questions, like what was the clinic he mentioned? Who was Luka?

"Get Elena here, _tonight!_ Do whatever you have to do to convince her to be here," Mason commanded to Eddie, his natural leadership springing out and asserting himself over Eddie.

Eddie nodded and disappeared out of the office leaving us all still bewildered.

"Where the fuck is _he_ going?" I accused, pointing to the door Eddie had gone through, still not forgetting that a Mob member had let himself into Abe's office and seen us all conversing.

"Isaiah has a girlfriend, unbelievably. She's heavily involved in the Mob as is her brother."

"What does that have anything to do with this though?" I scrambled, trying to make sense of everything.

"Her brother, Luka, owns an illegal abortion clinic in the city. The mob chips in and helps him out so they can get a cut."

Illegal abortion clinic? That just screamed dodgy to me, everything about those words made my skin crawl and mouth go dry. A place such as this Luka's clinic would have such supplies, supplies that would be readily available to Nathan.

 _L. K. Kollman Medical Centre._

Luka Kollman. That's why Nathan had the notepad. He was so involved with the clinic that he had taken Roza there as the hideaway.

Son of a bitch indeed.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _I feel like this chapter had a lot_ _in it!_

 _We know where Rose is now and even some more information on Nathan and Isaiah. But how will they extract her safely? Wonder what Eddie almost overheard Rose and Luka discussing which they obviously didn't want anyone to overhear?_


	15. An Abundance

**_Author's Note:_**

 _I'm so sorry for this chapter being late but I had a death in my family last week and then interstate travel this week for the funeral._

 _So, I apologise even more if this chapter isn't as good as my others, but life got in the way of my writing this week._

 _In return, I posted the first chapter of my new story,_ _ **Bad**_ _ **Intentions**_ _. Go check it out if you fancy a peak at a COMPLETELY different Romitri concept!_

 _*There is a couple of time jumps in this chapter where we will see some snippets from Rose's past in Istanbul*_

 _-RCap_

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

 ** _Istanbul. April 1919._**

"There will be some fine men there," my mother winked at me while touching up the last of my hair.

The fact that my mother was once again insinuating that this party would have 'fine men' there was getting tedious. We had been preparing for the party almost all day, and I had now lost count of the times she had tried setting my sights on different eligible bachelors.

"I'm not going to this party to look for a husband," I scoffed but even through my distaste, I couldn't stop the hint of a smile appearing on my lips and the sparkle in her eyes as she caught it.

"As you keep saying," my mother laughed boldly, her eyes creasing as a brilliant smile crossed her face.

Even though my mother had me at the tender age of twenty, the harsh sun in Istanbul and her love for it had sped along her aging significantly. But the laugh lines and creases around her eyes didn't deter from the raw beauty she still possessed.

As I looked at her through the vanity mirror I was sat in front of, I couldn't help but envy certain features of my mother. I had taken greatly after my father which had blessed me with dark and exotic features but I sometimes thought about how different I would have looked if I had taken after my mother more.

I really couldn't imagine myself with red hair and light eyes. But as I watched her hands flourish through my hair, pinning back the thick tresses at the top half of my head and securing them out of the way, I touched the loose curls that weren't hidden away and pictured them having the same red hue as my mother's.

"I'm not planning on settling down any time soon," I sighed after a few seconds, dropping my hand from the curls and picking up one of the various shades of lipsticks. "And if I were, I wouldn't be finding the man of my dreams at a ball for Baba's business."

"What's so bad about the men that work with your father?" she scowled before placing the final pin in my hair. "They are all men of stature and respect. They respect your father, so they would respect you. Just because they are involved in some…less than legal dealings doesn't mean…"

I cut my mother off with a raise of my eyebrows, waiting for her own words to sink in. "Okay, I get your point," she sighed dramatically. "No men for you, young lady. I have a hard-enough time reining back your father, let alone adding in a son-in-law with the same tendencies."

I narrowed my eyes at the way her voice trailed off, knowing full well that she was wanting to add something further. "Except _Kadir,_ of course."

I rolled my eyes at her name-dropping Kadir. It was no secret that my mother was waiting for me to finally pick a man and settle down with him. She didn't push, but I knew that every time we attended similar events to tonight she would hope that someone would catch my eye. However, it was never the case.

I caught the eyes of plenty, even having to use Kadir as a scapegoat occasionally.

Kadir was the only one of my father's employees who I _actually_ spent time with. Being Pavel's son, he had always been the spitting image of him and even now, he was extremely handsome. We grew up together and shared a lot of our milestones with each other.

 _A lot_ of milestones _._

With our history of spending an immense amount of time together, as well as both our father's very open approval of the other; it was easy for us to pass each other off as a significant other. It was the perfect way to deter any 'potential suitors' that just couldn't get the hint.

"It wouldn't be too bad for you and Kadir to actually give it a shot though. You know that. Right?"

I knew she was right. Both Kadir and I had even discussed it. I was mature enough to admit that Kadir's appearance could stir up some less than ladylike thoughts. I was also mature enough to admit that he had been the object of some dreams that I wouldn't be able to retell.

Kadir was a perfect gentleman, and we had already agreed that if neither of us had found our matches we would give it a shot. We already knew everything about the other, we got along brilliantly and there _was_ attraction that lay silently in wait.

I sighed deeply and turned in my chair to face my mother directly. I knew that she was scared. Scared that her illness wouldn't let her see the day that I would be married and have a family of my own but she never pushed me though.

She knew that I wouldn't marry for the sake of it, I wouldn't ever marry just for comfort or security and I certainly wouldn't bring kids into a family that was built behind a fake persona.

"I know, ma. I don't want to let you down, but I just haven't found the right one yet." I smiled sadly up at her and she cupped my chin softly in her hand.

"You could never let me down. Just know that whenever or wherever it happens, I'll be proud of you."

* * *

 ** _Chicago. February 18, 1925._**

I woke up slowly from the memory with tears already beginning to down my cheeks. I hadn't dreamt of my mother in a while and with everything going on, it was probably the worst memory that could have been dredged up.

My mother never did end up surviving her illness. The _Pernicious Anaemia_ had taken her life by the end of 1919 and it was almost mocking that they had found a way to treat it mere _months_ after her death.

But she was already gone, and there was no point wishing for something that was impossible.

After her death, Istanbul just didn't feel like home anymore to my father. I had felt the loss as well, but that didn't mean I was very receptive to my father's choice in moving our lives to America.

But one does not argue with Ibrahim Mazur.

Hence, our move to America and us leaving behind the life that he had built for us. We left a lot behind when we decided to move to America. We left family and friends behind in the hopes that we would be able to rebuild ourselves.

But regardless of the memories of my mother, waking up was just as painful as it had been the last time. My head was still pounding and my shoulders and neck muscles were tight and sore from when I had been bound earlier on.

I recognised immediately that I wasn't in the basement anymore. A soft pillow supported my head and I was even warm. It was nothing compared to the concrete and stale coldness of the basement floor.

I brought myself up onto my elbows in the bed and looked around at what looked like a miniature apartment, complete with the single bed I was in and even a bathroom that was slightly off to the side and concealed. If anything, it looked like a private hospital room.

The room was slightly illuminated by a lamp in the corner and I was able to see that everything that could possibly be used as a weapon had been removed. The room itself was dull and had no stimuli at all. The walls were a stark white and the floor was tiled in further white.

It looked like a hospital room that had been converted momentarily.

It was as I thought how clinical the room was that I remembered the strong smell of disinfectant and other cleaning liquids. It was very probable that was exactly where I was, but I doubted it was any public hospital.

I sat myself up fully in the bed and noticed the delicate and hearty blankets that had been draped over me. I was still only in my slip, but that was better than thinking they had undressed me any further.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed my eyes. They still felt extraordinarily heavy, but I assumed it was just my body coming down from the opiate.

Even with the absence of anything worthwhile in the small room, it was a hell of a lot better than a basement floor. I could work with it.

I got up from the bed and padded lightly around the room, scoping out the bathroom further which was as bare as the room itself. It had nothing but basic necessities in it. My eyes grazed over the bare hinges of the bathroom door where I could see that they had done exactly as I had thought. They had taken the door right of the hinges so I couldn't barricade myself inside.

I returned to the room where I sat on the edge of the bed they had given me and stared blankly ahead. I couldn't believe that this had happened to me. Nathan was using me as a toy in a game with both Dimitri and I.

I pressed my ear up against the only door in the room, the one that most likely lead to my escape. Upon hearing no activity at all, I tried the door handle and found that it was in fact dead bolted.

I was well and truly trapped in here. My own personal prison, albeit it was a much cleaner prison than the one that say Dimitri would have spent his youth in. But the more I thought about how trapped I was, the more the walls seemed to close in on me. The white walls constricting me and making me feel like I was in a cage.

Cages always reminded me of zoos or the circus. Those poor creatures living out the rest of their lives in such small confinements and yet here I was not knowing how long I would actually be trapped for.

Needing to distract myself from the four walls around me, I trudged to the shower and pulled off my slip. I looked hesitantly back at the door leading out of my room before discarding the dirty item of clothing and turning the shower knob on.

As the hot water pelted over me, I couldn't help but think of everything that had led up to this moment. The people I had left behind there had been some of the most important people in my life, and even though I had gained new important friends and family in America, none of those had been able to fill the hole of what I had left in Istanbul.

At least not until Dimitri had come into my life.

* * *

 ** _Istanbul. January 1920._**

"America?" I asked sceptically, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly and scowling over at my father. "Is this some kind of mid-life crisis?"

"No, this isn't a mid-life crisis, Kiz. This is about us starting fresh!" my father beamed, his smile almost blinding as revealed to me his plan.

"And this fresh start is…America? Isn't that a little extreme? Moving _countries_?"

I wasn't particularly happy about the thought of picking up and leaving Istanbul altogether. Ma had only passed away a couple of months ago, her final moments not being particularly gratifying.

Her illness in the final months had made almost a different person. She had become a different person to us. Her mind had been completely butchered and her body had showed the effects of the disease.

The part that had hurt the most was the fact that she didn't recognise me. When I tried to say goodbye to her, she asked who I was. It was hard to watch the strongest woman in my life become a shell of who she used to be.

But to leave everything that was familiar to us and to _her_ , was a step I didn't know if I was ready to take.

I looked across towards the window, admiring the sunset from afar and letting my father's words process through me. I knew that this was not a discussion, this was him _telling_ me. If Baba was telling me about his plan to move us to America, it meant it was already in the works. There was no real stopping it.

"Pavel found a space. Chicago."

My head turned to face him so quick that my neck threatened to snap.

Pavel had been in America since the death of my mother. Kadir had said he father was going on business, but I hadn't known that _business_ was finding our _new_ business.

Suddenly everything my father had mentioned these past few months came into perfect clarity. He had been filling my head with small ideas of the possibilities that America could hold for us.

He mentioned the differences in culture and social structure. I would have a lot more freedom, a freedom that I could get easily used to.

"You would be able to actually perform," my father added, catching my interest even further.

One of the small pleasures I had in life was my love for dance. The mental freedom it came with was euphoric and I couldn't compare it to anything else. I had danced since I was small, picking up on the technique easily and didn't stop in my older years.

However, there weren't any outlets for me and some of the other women to expose the talent that we had dedicated most of our lives to. We weren't allowed to dance in the presence of men - formal setting excluded - and even then it was nothing like the dancing we practised.

"You would let me perform?" I mumbled partly in disbelief and partly in awe.

Baba had always known about my dancing, but unfortunately no mater how much he wanted me to be able to follow my own desires, society dictated otherwise.

"Of course I would, Kiz. I would do anything for you."

His worlds filled me with an immense amount of warmth. The caring nature that he reserved strictly for those who were close to him was overpowering but his heart was always in the right place.

"A new start huh? Might be fun," I smiled while letting my arms finally relax onto my lap in acceptance of his plan.

I could see the joy light up his face, his eyes sparkling and his smile beaming as he moved around the desk to me. He crouched before me and took my hands in his own.

"This is going to be good for us," he smiled, but I didn't know who he was trying to convince more.

Me or _himself_?

* * *

When the night of our departure had come around, it still hadn't fully sunk in that I was leaving my home. It hadn't sunk in that I would most likely never see the house that had contributed to my childhood again, nor see the faces I had grown up with and made important relationships with.

It's why I was so glad that I had Kadir by my side tonight. He was the last thing that made this place home to me. He was my remaining link. As long as I still had him in my life, I still had Istanbul.

I had had the same reaction to seeing him waiting at the docks for me, that women had when they spoke to him. I guess he got used to the blush that would appear on their cheeks or the nonchalant gaze while weakly smiling at him.

I wasn't immune to his charms, don't get me wrong, but I did see past just his rugged and handsome looks. I _knew_ Kadir, more than any of these other women ever would at least.

I used to roll my eyes when I watched women swoon over him at business parties or just out in public. But when I saw his stubble-adorned face slightly illuminated by the moonlight and the dull orange lamps, I was sure that I had the same expression on my face that I hated seeing on others.

"Son," my father laughed happily upon seeing him. "What are you doing at the docks?"

"Well I missed you at the house, and I thought I would still be able to catch you before you left," Kadir responded almost stiffly, like he as trying to keep something in his voice concealed.

I wasn't sure if my father had picked up on it, but I certainly had. He wasn't fooling me. He may have his charming smile on, but I could still hear the sadness in his voice.

He was losing all of us tonight. Pavel would be joining us in America and we had even passed the invitation onto Kadir himself. However he had rejected it on the grounds that the business still needed a _'competent caretaker_ ' while we were gone.

My father and I were his second family, just as he was to us. We were all losing someone tonight.

After a quick conversation with Kadir, my father made his way to the office to ensure that our cabin was ready for our arrival. I took his absence as my opportunity to address the sadness I had heard in my best friend's voice.

But when I looked up to snap his attention onto me, he was already staring down at me. Those big brown puppy dog eyes staring into my entire being and making my insides turn to slush.

I stared curiously up at him, searching his eyes and finding the same sadness and pain that had been in his voice was also in his eyes, his sad smile and even in his posture.

"You could still come you know," I whispered abruptly up at him once I had seen the pain portrayed more clearly on his face. "It's not too late to change your mind."

"Someone has to make sure that everything still runs smoothly here," he smiled, breaking the painful look.

"I know, but it's going to be hard without you."

He took a step towards me, cupping my cheeks with his warm palms and staring down at me. There was something different in his eyes. I had looked into Kadir's eyes countless times over the years, and I had never seen this look before. It looked conflicted and pained, but also full of love.

"You'll find a new best friend, maybe even a man that will give you the life you couldn't of had here."

I would have believed his words if his voice hadn't of cracked, or if his eyes hadn't of slightly welled up. I didn't like to see him upset and those feelings that I kept buried deep down in me bubbled at the surface. The love that I felt for Kadir was unconditional. He had been there for not only my finest moments but also my worst, and he had _never_ thought less of me.

I had loved Kadir for a long time, but I ignored the feeling and shrugged it off whenever it would try to make itself known. But this time it wasn't staying down and before I could stop myself, words that I never thought I would actually say, began flying from my mouth.

"No matter who I meet in America, you will always be my first love, Kadir." I whispered softly.

"And you mine, my love _._ "

We both smiled at each other for a few short seconds, but then the smile became something else. I felt my stomach go into a flutter and my heart stab with longing. My gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips momentarily before looking back up, catching him doing the same with me.

We both leaned forward at the same time, our eyes closing and lips meetly softly and chastely. Neither of us rushed the action, or took it too far. He knew this was my first kiss, and I doubted he would take it any further.

But as the hands that cupped my cheeks moved to cup my neck, I knew I was wrong. If he thought I was going to stay soft though, then he was wrong as well.

His hands cupped my neck and immediately deepened the kiss. I soon felt his tongue pressing hesitantly at my lips, waiting for me to grant him access. Access that I willingly gave away.

This kiss wasn't what I expected. His lips were soft and his tongue tender as he gave me a kiss to compare to all my future ones. I could tell that were both falling into the spell the kiss was putting us under and as I worked my hands into his hair, I used my hold on him to pull him closer down to me.

As my nails scratched at his scalp, I felt a low moan rumble through his chest and I couldn't stop the smile that appeared on my lips.

I could faintly hear the sound of the boat marking boarding time with the blow of his horn, and even though I didn't want this kiss to end, I knew it was time. I reluctantly broke my lips from Kadir's; opening my eyes to find his still closed and a small tear leaking out of the corner of one.

Using the pads of my fingers, I brushed the tear away from his cheekbone and placed a final soft kiss on his still slightly puffed lips. He engulfed me a strong and dominant hug, nestling his face into my neck and pulling me closer to him.

"Write to me," he breathed, his breath hot against my neck and his voice full of the pain I had seen in his eyes.

"Always."

* * *

 ** _Chicago. February 19, 1925._**

I didn't know how much time had passed since the night I had been taken.

I was trying to track my days backwards, knowing that I was taken on Sunday night and awoke on Monday morning. However the times seem to blur into one another. My room didn't have a window, nor was there any natural lighting coming from anywhere in my room. I didn't have any way at all to decipher time. All I could do was guess.

I had yet to see anyone other than Luka. He came in every few hours to see how I was and giving me food but I knew someone else had entered my room at least once; leaving a change of clothes for me and even taking my food scraps away. But other than that I hadn't seen anyone else. I still felt fuzzy from the drugs that had been forcefully injected into me, and they were clearly having a major role in keeping me confused.

With nothing better to do, I picked up one of the books that had been placed on my bedside table and began to read it. However, the novel was just a sappy romance about a teacher and student relationship.

Nothing like that would be of interest to me.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered to myself, slamming the book shut in my hands just as someone began unlocking my door.

I jumped off of the bed and coiled to attack whoever was coming in but the shock of who walked through the door was enough to cease my attack completely.

"You…" I breathed while looking at the small woman as she held a tray with a sandwich on it.

There was no way I could forget those judgemental eyes and meek features. The features that made her look strong while also appearing as if she couldn't hold her own. It was a smart tactic that could make anyone think that she wasn't a threat.

In fact it had made _me_ think she wasn't a threat. But now looking at her with a more obvious deviousness to her, I didn't know how I missed it when I had first laid eyes on her.

Perhaps my judgement had been clouded by the Detective talking down to her and that I had felt bad for her. But no, you could tell that this woman didn't let people walk over her unless she wanted them to believe they could. She was strong but she disguised it well.

Detective Steele's assistant. I remember her name being Inna or something. I hadn't been focusing on her when she had come into the interview room that night, I was more interested in the fact that she had told him they couldn't keep me anymore. I had an alibi.

But the more I thought about why she would be here, the more I thought about whose side she was really on. She was either playing the mob or playing the cops.

Inna only smiled innocently at me though but when Luka joined us in the room she quickly stripped away her amused gaze. I could tell that Luka had obviously noticed the strong hostility between the two of us, and even though she wasn't actively staring me down anymore, that didn't mean I was going to back down.

"What's she doing here?" I asked Luka cautiously, narrowing my eyes at Inna.

"Who? Inna?" he asked quizzically. "She's just bringing in your lunch."

At the mention of food, I broke my staring contest with Inna and focused on the tray that was still in her hands. A simple sandwich and water were waiting for me and any other day I would have been grateful to see the small feast.

But as I caught the smell of what I assumed was egg, I began feeling woozy and nauseous. My entire body heaved as I felt the small amount of food I had had recently made its way up.

What the hell was with all the vomiting lately? My stomach had never been this touchy or sensitive.

I pushed past Luka and threw myself into the bathroom, just making it to the toilet in time as I emptied the entire contents of my stomach into it.

I could hear Luka ask Inna just to place the tray of food on the bench before the door closed shut. But I didn't need to look up or listen carefully to know that Luka was now standing in the doorway to the bathroom, completely quiet and just observing as I attempted to calm my breathing.

I stayed leaning up against the tiles of the bathroom wall for a few seconds, relishing in the cool ceramic against my now heavily flushed face. I pushed my cheek further into it before finally heaving myself to my feet.

But my legs were still wobbly and feeling weak, Luka only managing to catch my arm just as one of them decided to give out from underneath me. I gave him a small smile as he helped me to the basin where I promptly splashed my face with cold water and rinsing out my mouth several times.

"You wouldn't happen to have any toothpaste, would you?" I croaked out after I was satisfied that most of the acidic taste was out of my mouth.

I looked in the reflection of the mirror to see Luka regarding me curiously. Not in the same was the Nathan or Isaiah would, it was more of a genuine concerning look. His forehead was slightly creased and I could see a fair amount of worry swirling in his brown eyes.

Was he worried for _me_?

"What?" I managed to croak again, ignoring the pain in my throat that resembled a burning fire.

"Does egg usually make you feel this sick?" he asked seriously.

I thought hard about the answer, thinking back to all the times I had had egg before and not once had I vomited at the smell of it. _Never_.

I shook my head and went back to rinsing out my mouth, finding the acidic taste returning and becoming incredibly difficult to get off my tongue.

"Have you been vomiting a lot lately?"

I once again thought hard, finding that I had felt sick a lot, but I had only thrown up a couple of times in the past week, now included. The last time I had vomited was when Dimitri and I had found Stan's body, and yet the sight of him hadn't been what made me feel sick, not really.

It wasn't the first dead body that I had seen. Aaron had been worse to see, which had more to do with all the blood that not only splattered onto the sheets, but also on Lissa.

But no, if seeing Stan's dead body hadn't been what triggered the nausea, what had it actually been?

Luka shifted from one foot to the other but didn't appear in anyway awkward as he uttered his next words. But I guess when you're a doctor, you are used to asking them and they eventually become instinctual.

"Do you and Dimitri ever use any sort of contraception?" he asked bluntly.

At first I was slightly shocked in his question. I had seen no reason for him to ask such a personal question so bluntly. But the look in his eyes told me that he wasn't prying to see what my sex life was like. There was another reasoning for his questioning.

"No…" I trailed off. "But we are careful!" I said defensively. But the more I thought of mine and Dimitri's sexual encounters over the past month or so, the more I doubted the legitimacy of my own statement.

"Always?" he asked, raising a single brow as I pushed off the basin and brushed past him in the doorway.

"There may have been a couple times that we weren't _as_ careful," I mumbled while walking further into my room, remembering the few times where Dimitri and I had been too caught up in the moment to actually… _pull out_.

I groaned loudly as the realisation and consequence of those lustful moments fully dawned on me. "Fuck," I cursed, sitting on the edge of my bed and dropping my head into my hands roughly.

"I can do some tests, they may take a few days and aren't all that accurate. But it might be able to give you some piece of mind."

I looked up at Luka as he stood awkwardly in the doorway of the bathroom and as I studied his face I saw no evidence of deception. He was actually willing to help me. But after everything that had happened over the past few days, I didn't know if I was open to the help just yet.

He had willingly injected me with god only knows what, and if I really were pregnant, than that could seriously harm the child that was possibly growing within me, if it hadn't already.

"Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?" I whispered.

"There is something extraordinary about pregnancy. That a woman is able to create an entirely new life inside her womb...its just always fascinated me."

"You do abortions as a job, Luka! That's hardly taking care of those who are pregnant." I snapped at him.

"But I don't go out actively looking for pregnant women to give abortions too! They come to me because they can't have these children. Some can't support them, some can't be seen pregnant out of wedlock and I've even had rape victims come and see me. There are a lot of different scenarios that lead to abortions, and as much as it kills me to do them, I help these women."

I stayed silent while he talked and I had to admit that I saw the reason for his decision to open an abortion clinic.

"I want to help you as well. I'll do everything I can. I swear to you, Rose. I won't let Nathan do anything that would jeopardise the life growing inside of you." Luka said, sincerity lacing his words.

"How am I meant to trust that you wont tell _him_?" I said meekly, placing a hand unconsciously over my stomach and letting my emotions overcome me.

"I give you my word, if you will take it."

I sat and continued staring at him, he didn't blink and he didn't look away. He only returned my stare but his eyes held so much sincerity that it made it incredibly hard to refuse his offer of help.

I weighed up my options, finding out quickly that I really only had one. Luka. He was the one who administered the dope and he was the one who monitored me. He was the one who took care of me while I was in here.

"How can you find out of I'm pregnant or not?" I asked curiously, genuinely wondering how they could find out something like that. Couldn't I just wait until I had a bump growing?

"I'll take some samples - blood among other things. I do have a question for you though…" he added warily and I could see the discomfort coming of him in waves. For a doctor, he sure got flustered talking to a woman about her _business_.

"Shoot," I mumbled looking down at my hands in my lap.

"When was the last time you…bled?" he asked and I frowned down at my hands, trying to remember the last time I had had my monthly bleeding.

I had finished shortly before Dimitri's arrival at the club, which would put me well into a new cycle and therefore, very late.

"Too long ago," I groaned. "I should have known…"

I couldn't help but stare at the marks that still marred the delicate skin. The angry and red abrasions still hurt tremendously and whatever drug they had been using on me was wearing off, meaning that the other pains and aches in my body were coming back into the light.

Luka coughed hastily before grabbing the black leather bag that I had been yet to see him without. The things he carried in there were a mystery, but I had no doubt that it would have enough in there to kill me if that's what he wanted.

Although, at this point, I was becoming pretty certain that he really was trying to help me and that I _could_ trust him.

"Let me," he mumbled while kneeling in front of where I sat. I nodded automatically and he softly pried my hands away from each other. "This is extremely aggravated."

"Yeah, well I fidget when on drugs apparently," I scoffed while scowling down at him.

We were silent as Luka began applying a cream onto the cuts and abrasions my wrists were adorned in, and I couldn't escape how gentle he was being. He was so careful not to hurt me that I could barely feel his fingers rubbing in the cream.

I looked up from my wrists to watch him as he mended them, and seeing the concentration in his eyes made me believe that he was my best chance at getting out of here unharmed. I _had_ to trust him, even if I didn't want to believe he was my best bet.

"Hey!"

The sound of someone yelling in the hallway outside my door captured both Luka and my attention. Our heads swivelled to the door and listened, hoping no one had heard our conversation. I didn't need any of the men knowing that I was possibly… _pregnant._

The word still sounded so foreign to me and I was pretty sure that I was still in denial about it. Of course, something like this would happen to me while I was trapped in a place like this.

"What are you doing down here?" the man's voice called again and suddenly the voice of a stuttering female erupted behind the door.

"I-I'm sorry! I was just looking for a bathroom," the voice stammered before heading further down the hallway in a furiously clacking of heels.

But it wasn't how scared the voice sounded that caught my attention. It was that I knew the owner.

That was Jill's voice, and if she was here it meant that the rest knew I was here. They were coming for me.

 _Dimitri_ was coming for me.

Hope swelled in my chest and I soon had a beaming smile on my face. I quickly turned back to Luka and looked across at him. Using my forefinger, I poked at his chest and laid down what I wanted him to do if he really _was_ going to help me…or more importantly, _us_.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Now I know that the concept of Rose being pregnant is a very cliché and SO overdone, but this won't be like the other stories where Rose is pregnant. There is still a major part of the story to come, so I urge you to not let the concept deter you in any way._

 _This isn't a story where Rose falls pregnant and suddenly everything is right in the world and happy, there is still about ten chapters to go, and I couldn't handle writing ten chapters of pure fluff. I'm not wired that way and my brain loves tragedy._

 _-RCap_


	16. A Battle

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Okay guys, this is the rescue chapter! I've written this chapter to be fast paced and a little jagged. So if it all seems to be moving quickly, that's the point._

 _I've had a rough couple of weeks, and I've tried my hardest for this chapter. I'm sorry if it's not up to everyone expectations, but it's been a busy couple of weeks since the death in my family._

 _I'd also like to thank those who reviewed/PM me their condolences. My family and I are very grateful for them xx_

 ** _Note:_** _This chapter is a direct continuation of chapter fourteen. Conversations written in Italics are spoken in Russian._

* * *

 ** _Dimitri._**

 ** _Chicago. February 17, 1925._**

 _"Her brother, Luka, owns an illegal abortion clinic in the city. The mob chips in and helps him out so they can get a cut."_

 _Illegal abortion clinic? That just screamed dodgy to me, everything about those words made my skin crawl and mouth go dry. A place such as this Luka's clinic would have such supplies, supplies that would be readily available to Nathan._

 _L. K. Kollman Medical Centre._

 _Luka Kollman. That's why Nathan had the notepad. He was so involved with the clinic that he had taken Roza there as the hideaway._

 _Son of a bitch indeed._

* * *

The world around me practically spun. We knew where she was and we now had the upper hand here. We could get her out of there.

I could feel the entire room tense as we all thought the same thing. However, we didn't know what kind of state she was actually in. We didn't know if she was still drugged and unconscious, or if she was awake and delirious. We didn't know if she was hurt.

"So you think she is being held at this _Luka_ 's clinic?" Ivan managed to say between breathless gasps, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I'm pretty damn sure of it. Both of those photographs you have gotten have been stuck with surgical tape. I don't even think it was purposeful, I think he fucked up without even knowing it." Mason said gleefully, a smile beginning to take hold of his features.

"So we have an advantage then?" I practically exclaimed, stepping closer to Mason as his smile widened.

"At this point? Yeah, but we _can't_ jump the gun!" he said, pointing his finger at me accusingly.

I could feel my brows furrow and my eyes narrow at his comment. I wasn't the type of person to _jump the gun_ in any situation. I'll admit that being with Roza had had some significant influences over me, but I still didn't jump like she did.

I liked to think that I was much more levelheaded than Roza. I could assess a situation and make a decision accordingly. So to have someone, who I was yet to consider anything more than an ally, reprimand me for something I wasn't known for, was _infuriating_.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" I growled, stepping into his accusing finger, and lowering my head down to him.

"It means that we can't have you jumping the gun and going into the clinic all guns blazing."

"I can't sit around and _hope_ that he won't hurt her! Who knows what he could be doing to her!" I boomed, letting my emotions begin to get the better of me.

It wasn't the first time that I had thought about what could possibly be happening to her in there. I was beyond worried that she would think I wouldn't come for her; that I would abandon her.

"He won't hurt her like _that_. He may rough her up a bit, but he wouldn't do _that_ , not when Inna would cut his balls off is he dipped his dick in something other than her."

"Inna…" I mumbled as the name struck something in me. I took a few steps back from Mason, reestablishing the space between us and seemingly relaxing those around me. There was something familiar about the name, I had heard it before but the question was where?

"What? Do you know Inna?" Mason asked, his eyes widening slightly with surprise.

"I've heard the name before. After Stan died…" I trailed off, getting lost in my own thoughts.

I could feel the answer on the tip of my tongue. I knew that I had heard the name before but I just couldn't for the life of me; remember who had said the name.

"She's part of our Intel," Mason pushed, almost like he was trying to help jog my memory.

It all snapped like an elastic band, as I remembered the small woman at the Police station.

The assistant.

"She's a Police assistant? Works with Detective Steele?" I asked quickly, my lips almost unable to keep up with my words.

"Yeah…"

"She was at the station after Nathan shot Stan. She came into the room I was in and told the Detective interviewing me that I was clean. That I had an alibi," I trailed off, looking ahead blankly as I thought. "But I didn't have an alibi, neither did Roza," I mumbled under my breath.

"Why not? Where were you guys?" Mason quizzed.

"We were…preoccupied," I muttered, ignoring Abe's heated glare on me. I had no doubt that he knew exactly where we were and what we had been doing. But that was beside the point now. The main question was why Inna would say we had alibis when we clearly didn't?

"Nathan needed the both of you on the outside. Otherwise, there is no game," Mason nodded, beginning to see a bigger picture.

"There is no _game_ if Roza and I are locked up on suspicion of murder. He needed us clean."

Nathan was good. I'll give him that. He was careful and he had planned everything down to the smallest inconvenience. He was calculating and he had thought of everything. I was just praying, that he hadn't counted on us figuring out where he was keeping Roza this soon.

I didn't know how long he planned for this game to continue for. I didn't know if he even knew who I really was or the organization I was apart of, but I didn't care. This wasn't just about me anymore.

"Dimitri, this is only proof of how carefully planned this has all been. We can't make a wrong move. If we do, Rose is dead."

I let myself process his words until they made more sense in my head. Originally, I didn't understand why we couldn't go in and catch them off guard, effectively saving Roza in the process.

But Mason was right. I couldn't just storm the place and grab Roza. It needed to be planned and we needed to be sure of where she was.

We wouldn't be able to do this on just a few brothers. We were possibly about to start a war getting her back. We needed backup and I just hoped that whom I had in mind, would be willing to come and help us.

"I need to make a call."

* * *

I didn't know what to expect when this _Elena_ woman would show up. Mason had only told us that she would be arriving with Eddie when the club opened and that we should keep an eye out for her.

She was Isaiah's girlfriend, although not necessarily a very loyal one with how Mason had described her. She was described as a weak link, one that would give up information easily as long as she didn't get hurt.

We would have to try cornering her somewhere and confirm what we would be walking into. Mason had warned us that she was shifty and easily swayed. She wasn't one to be all that loyal when it came down to it.

It wasn't hard to spot Eddie and Elena when they walked in.

Elena carried herself with a sort of dominance. She walked through the crowd as if she owned the place, which seemed to be a habit of the American Mob; they thought this place belonged to them. But there was something different about her. It looked like a front.

The front she seemed to put on reminded me a little bit of Anton. He was like a guard dog, he was vicious and could be quite cruel. But he didn't make that a front, it was who he was He held himself high and he stuck to it. Elena looked like she would break within seconds, which is just what Mason had told us she would do.

Ivan and I watched from the bar as Eddie tried to engage her; distract her from noticing all the Bratva members that were eagerly waiting on the sidelines for something to go wrong. They were just itching for a fight.

As I waited for the opportune moment, I was powerless at stopping the onslaught of concerns I had for Roza.

It was the third night now that she had been gone, and I didn't know what was happening to her.

I didn't know if she was awake and scared, or if she was still knocked out like in the photograph. I didn't know if she was uncomfortable or if they were feeding her. I didn't know anything, but I would soon. I just had to keep reminding myself of that.

Ivan slapped my chest and brought me out of my thoughts, "She's moving."

I stood up straight and looked to where Eddie was sitting. Elena had indeed left the table and was grazing towards the hallway that led to the bathrooms. I quickly glanced back at Eddie who urged us to follow her.

Even though I was set on my task of making her talk, both Ivan and I seemed to share the same reluctance about barging into the women's bathroom. We didn't know who else could be in there.

I leaned back against the wall behind me, trying to find my courage to question Elena but it wasn't coming to me. I couldn't bring myself to possibly hurt a woman, even one that knew the whereabouts of Roza.

A quick glance down either side of the dimly lit hallway proved we were alone. Eddie emerged at the end, arms folded over his chest as he leaned against the wall.

My Roza must have enchanted several men during her short time in America. She was turning men against the organizations that they had bound themselves to. While Mason's motivations stemmed from a romantic interest, eventually morphing into a genuine caring for her, Eddie's still slightly confused me.

He didn't seem to be interested in Roza like that. Perhaps he was just an honest and upfront man. He knew the difference between right and wrong. He had to push those boundaries for the sake of his job, he knew what was happening to Roza was wrong. So very wrong.

I closed my eyes and rested the back of my head against the wall. Images of Roza underneath me coursed behind my closed eyes. Her hair splayed around her like a dark halo, her lips parting slightly as she moaned my name. Even the stark contrast her dark golden skin possessed against the whiteness of the silk she slept in. There was so much more for us, that I couldn't let this tiny spark in my conscience completely derail my intentions.

My eyes snapped open and without giving myself time to think, I barged straight into the door with a determination that I didn't know I had. Swinging the door open, I moved straight towards Elena who was straightening her dress out in front of the large mirrored wall.

I didn't even take notice of the other woman who quickly jumped out of my way upon seeing me. I took directly behind Elena and glared at her through the mirrors. She didn't seem fazed though; she only smiled a sultry smile back at me.

"This is the ladies room, ya'know," she smirked, but I didn't utter a single word. Noticing my refusal to answer her, she broke our eye contact through the mirror. "Do I know you?" she practically purred while combing her fingers through her hair.

"No, but you may know my girlfriend," I growled back, hoping to assert a form of dominance over her and scare her before having to raise my hands.

"Mm," she purred again, spinning around to face me. My scowl deepened with the realization of how close we were. She took advantage of that small distance and traced a finger down my chest, "Does she mind sharing?"

I blinked back in disgust and wrapped a hand around her wrist, promptly shoving her away from me. I should have guessed that she wouldn't have succumbed to a show of dominance; she was an avid member of the American Mob as well as dating someone like Isaiah. What should I have expected? She was likely to be just as nuts as he was.

"Where's Roza?" I growled out and her seductive features faded, leaving me with a woman who looked exceptionally bored with our questioning.

"Who?" she asked with obvious annoyance.

"Wait, does she know where Rose is?" a woman spoke up from inside the bathroom.

It was then that I realized that the other woman, who I had not taken proper notice to was in fact, Lissa.

She took a step towards us and looked expectantly between all three of us. It was almost comical.

"Who's Rose?" Elena asked again, her annoyance slowly turning into boredom once again.

"Rose Hathaway!" I boomed, turning back to face Elena. "Where is she?"

Elena suddenly lit up and her eyes darkened with lust once again, she took a step forward as she huskily spoke her words to me, "Is that my competition?"

My face contorted in disgust and I wrapped a hand around her throat before pushing her back against the mirror. "Just how I like it," she moaned out.

It wasn't just the revulsion to her words that made me drop my hold on her but also the thought of hurting her. I wasn't my father and there was no way that I would purposely inflict physical pain on a woman.

 _I won't hit a woman_. I thought to myself.

It wasn't until I heard Elena's loud laughter that I realize I had actually spoken out loud.

"Allow me then," Lissa growled from behind me as she pushed past both Ivan and me.

I merely stared as Lissa stormed up to Elena, unwaveringly using the ball of her hand and pushing Elena's head hard into the mirror behind her. I flinched slightly as I heard and watched the mirror crack. The cracking was immediately followed by a short cry of pain from Elena.

Ivan and I exchanged surprised glances as Lissa got into Elena's face, growling her next words, "They may not be willing to lay a hand on you, but I have no problem _bashing_ your head into this mirror until you remember the name."

It was so out of character for Lissa to show any form of aggressive. In the time that I had known her, I had always seen her as the quieter and even shy one of the group. Never as one to get angry and assault someone, but as much as I was surprised, I was grateful that she would do such a thing to help her find her friend.

"Are you fucking insane?" Elena screeched when she became aware of herself. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Lissa didn't even bother responding, she merely pushed her again, smashing the mirror even more. Elena gripped the back of her head and her features contorted with pain.

"If you think breaking a coupla' mirrors with my head is gonna make me talk, you got another thing coming, doll," she spat through clenched teeth.

Lissa didn't seem fazed by her words; she only went to repeat the movement for the third time. But before she could follow through, the door behind us opened to reveal Eddie looking annoyingly blasé and disinterested.

"Come now, Elena. I'm sure you wouldn't want Isaiah to know about your little tryst with Williams, would you?"

Elena's face paled and her entire demeanor slacked. The hands that were cupping the back of her neck dropped to her sides apprehensively. "How do you know about that?"

"What? You think us boys don't talk?" Eddie scoffed, "Of course, Williams would never mention it to Isaiah, he'd kill you both if he knew what a floozy you really were."

I smirked to myself, knowing exactly what Eddie was getting at. If she wasn't going to talk willingly, a little blackmail never went too far.

"What do you want, Eddie?" she asked cautiously, but the fear that I had been trying to rile up in her earlier was now exposed. And she was genuinely petrified of what Isaiah would do to her.

"Rose Hathaway. I know that you know the name, so don't say that you don't. Is Luka holding her?"

The bathroom was quiet for a few seconds. The faint music from the main theatre was muffled through the walls, but I could hear her frightened breathing over everything else.

"Okay, I'll tell you what you want to know. But if it gets back that I told you, I'll come after you."

I scoffed at her threat, I didn't have any intention of 'dobbing' her into Nathan or her boyfriend but at the same time, I didn't expect her to give in so easily.

Everything that Mason had described her as seemed to be exactly true.

* * *

"We were right. She's being held at the clinic," I grumbled while Ivan and I collapsed into the leather couch is Abe's office. "In the 'recovery' room, whatever _that_ is."

"So my daughter _is_ being held at this clinic? How did you find that out?" he asked precariously while clicking his jaw from side to side. I couldn't help but smirk at the black and purple bruise that had been forming from earlier. I didn't have a shred of regret.

I tapped my nose with my forefinger and smiled pleasantly at him, "Bratva secrets."

Ivan scoffed before immediately spilling on the night's events. "He wishes. Eddie got it out of her in the end. Though, that Lissa girl has got a lot of spirit in her."

"You're going to need to replace those mirrors in the lady's room," I smiled, thinking back almost fondly at how dedicated Lissa had been. No matter how innocent someone seemed, you could always get a reaction out of him or her for the right reason.

Abe's scowl quickly turned into an all-out grin. "My, my, Vasilisa," he almost sang while clicking his tongue. "She _can_ be extremely loyal."

I nodded while pulling a cigarette out of my deck and quickly lit it. "I'm glad there are others that care so much about Roza to do something like that."

Abe proceeded to mumble something under his breath, his Turkish clearly blocking me out of the real words he was saying. Although, once he was seated in the chair behind his desk, he gave me an almost winning smile.

"How are we going to get my little girl out of there, Belikov? I assume you would already have some plans forming in that head of yours."

I laughed sharply under my breath, "You could say that. I want to possibly send someone inside the clinic, and I have an idea to get us in."

* * *

 ** _February 19, 1925._**

Eddie and Jill had been gone for hours now.

The clinic was closed on Mondays and having to wait that extra day was torture.

I was suddenly regretting my idea of sending them in to scope out where Roza might be. I still didn't trust Eddie one hundred percent, but they were our best bet.

Being an abortion clinic, it would be easy for Eddie to say he got Jill pregnant and get her _into_ the clinic. All she needed to do was find the door that Eddie said he heard Roza's voice behind and confirm it.

And she did.

She was in there and she was safe by the sounds of it. But there was hesitancy in Jill's eyes that told me there was something she wasn't telling me. I could have passed the look in her eyes as nervousness from standing in a room full of Bratva members. It was plausible seeing how shy she could be, but no, her shyness wasn't wasn't the cause of this. There was something she wasn't telling me.

"Jill? Is there something wrong with Roza?" I asked cautiously as I stood slowly from my place on the leather lounge.

I watched her eyes dart around the room, landing on each man who was unfamiliar to her. Her eyes flicked to Abe's and instantly recoiled.

"Jill?" I pushed, "If there is something wrong, I _need_ to know."

After a final look around the room and an uncomfortable shift in weight from Eddie behind her, she finally looked me dead in the eyes and inhaled sharply.

"I think Rose is pregnant."

Words left me as I stared at her wide green eyes with equally wide eyes. Thousands of thoughts swirled through my mind. I could see Jill's lips moving furiously like she was explaining what she had heard, but my brain had stopped working. It had gone into a type of emergency shutdown.

 _Roza was...pregnant?_

A dark laugh brought me back to reality, and I gazed to the source. While his laugh had dragged me back, I knew he didn't find it funny. If anything, the hatred and raw anger burning in his eyes were proof enough of that.

Abe came around his desk, grabbing the fronts of my shirt like I had done similar to him. But there was not a chance in hell I was letting him touch me in the presence of my men.

I shoved him back, and while he was strong, I was still stronger.

He lost his grip and stumbled slightly, but the rage in his eyes didn't falter.

"How dare you!" he boomed, and I honestly didn't know what he was exactly referring to.

Me pushing him? Or getting his only child pregnant?

His face contorted into a sneer, but even though I was furious he had put his hands on me, I felt unnaturally happy with the news of Roza's possible pregnancy. I couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped my lips. But it seemed I only added fuel to his wrath.

"You think this is funny?" he snapped at me. "You must have a death wish, son!"

As our voices rose above the silence, and our now heated war with words began, I could feel the temperature in the room skyrocket.

Ivan and Mason jumped to get between us and while it stopped us from getting physical, it _didn't_ stop the bitter onslaught of words.

He called me _greasy_ ; I called him _manipulative_.

He called me a _low-life_ ; I called him _deceptive_.

Even over the yelling though, I didn't miss the nervous interruption of someone calling my name.

"Uh, Dimitri?"

Every single head in the room turned to face the owner of the voice. In the doorway, stood Adrian with a very uncomfortable looking patron. He stood slightly obscured by Adrian's frame, but I could see his eyes widen when he looked my way. Did he recognize me?

"Mason?" the newcomer asked incredulously, immediately throwing my theory away. I looked to my side to see a similar gaping look coming from Mason.

"Luka?"

"Luka?" I exclaimed questioningly, fixing my sights back to the stranger with a murderous glare. "This is _Luka_?"

"Eddie?"

" _Fucking_ _hell_ ," I muttered in Russian as my head began to spin with the sudden name game.

"What are you doing here?" Mason accused, standing next to me with a certain rigidness to himself.

"I could ask you guys the same thing! Nathan would kill you if he found out about _this_." Luka glared, but it seemed to only make Mason and Eddie grin with hilarity.

"I can't help but think _you'd_ be in more shit than _us_ ," Eddie laughed, leaning himself up against the bookcase.

"I need to talk to Dimitri. I have a message," Luka stated, shaking off the two Mob members comments.

"From who? Nathan?" I scoffed, taking small steps towards Luka.

It took everything within me to not leap at him and strangle him. I could see the fear in his eyes as I strode towards him, and I smiled wickedly as I imagined the way I could send a message _back_ to Nathan, using Luka.

"From Rose."

The smile dropped from my face, and I stopped dead in my tracks. There was only one way that Rose would use _him_ to pass a message to me, and that would be if she trusted him.

"I'm fairly certain she's pregnant. She needs to be taken out of the clinic as soon as possible. But I have zero chance of getting her out of there undetected," he said quickly. His eyes swept over every face looking at him, and I assumed he was seeing identical blank expressions on every single face.

"Why don't you look surprised?"

"Jill beat you to it," I smirked. "By a couple of minutes as well. Your timing needs work."

Luka rolled his eyes before speaking. "It's irrelevant if my timing is shit. What really matters is _your_ timing."

I considered his words and the legitimacy behind them. I weighed up how we could possibly get into the clinic and get her out. The entire place would surely have Nathan's men stationed at it, I had no doubt about that. But we needed more. We needed to _know_ more.

As if he was reading my mind, or he could see my thoughts displayed on my face, Luka spoke up.

"I can help. I can help you get in around the back. I can tell how many men are on. Anything."

"Why are you helping us?" I asked quietly, my accent coming out thicker than intended.

"Nathan goes too far a lot of the time. Rose isn't the first girl I've helped, and I doubt she will be the last. But she's the first one that's pregnant. If Nathan finds out about that pregnancy, I don't know what he will do. That scares me more than anything else he's done."

I inhaled deeply, taking in his words and letting them sink in. I wasn't willing to leave this up to chance. I wasn't going to place the fate of Roza and my child's lives in Nathan's hands.

I had gotten Roza into this mess, so I was going to get her out of it. Tonight.

I sidestepped around Luka with my mind made up. Only for Eddie to step in front of me, making me stop. I glared down at him, a string of Russian curses forming on my tongue.

"Dimitri, we need to think about this," Mason said, also stepping into my path.

"I have, and I'm getting her out of there. Tonight!" I commanded, pushing past the small line of defense and into the dressing room. "As soon as Ruslan and his men get here, we move out!"

* * *

Night eventually came, and so did Ruslan and his men.

I had called him to ask for his assistance yesterday. While there had been a fear that he would reject and refuse to engage _his_ men in my affairs, we all lived by the same mantra.

 _You challenge one, you challenge all._

By taking Roza, Nathan had inadvertently started a war.

The club was in full swing when the arrived. I noticed them from the entry to the backstage area, nodding for them to follow me through the swinging doors. The four of them stuck out prominently in the large crowd.

While the patrons were dressed in extravagant swing dresses and fancy suits, Ruslan's men were dressed head to toe in black. The lack of color made them look like a pack of wolves in a sheep pen. Which wasn't all that far from the truth anyway.

I had only met Ruslan once, and it was several years ago when we were both still stationed in Russia. He was older than me, edging towards his late forties, but the brute muscle on him made him seem my own age.

I didn't know whom Ruslan had decided to bring with him. But my eyes caught onto one that I hadn't counted on seeing.

" _Dimka,_ " Ruslan sighed once he reached the backstage door. He took his hands and cupped the sides of my neck. " _How have you been, boy_?" he asked in Russian.

 _Been better,_ " I continued before embracing him strongly. " _She's pregnant."_

Ruslan stepped back slightly, searching my eyes before responding. " _Let's get this girl of yours then, shall we?_ " He smiled before stepping around me.

But before he could get too far, I grabbed his arm. My eyes stayed fixed on the blond hair that I thought I had seen the last of over a month ago. " _What's he doing here_?"

Ruslan didn't need to look where I was staring; he knew whom I was referring to. " _He insisted on coming,_ " he shrugged. I let go of his arm and allowed him to pass through to the backstage area, not letting my sights off of Jesse though.

I shook the hands of the three men that introduced themselves, Jesse was last.

Since I had sent him to San Francisco, he seemed to have gotten a glass eye to fill the hole that Abe had made. While it was well made, the blue wasn't quite right. It was too dark, making his limitation obvious.

He looked at me with a sort of reservation, like he didn't know if I was going to start beating him again. But staring at his 'eye', I could see his regret swirling furiously. He insisted on coming for this mission because he owed it to her.

" _I hope to help if you'll allow me,_ " he said strongly, holding out his hand for me to take.

I looked down at it briefly, my eyes grazing over the ink that I had placed there before sighing deeply. He was trying to redeem himself of his indiscretion. Who was I to stand in the way of a man's path to redemption?

I took his hand in my own strongly, shaking it and giving him a small smile. _"We need all the help we can get. Ivan will be pleased to see you._ "

* * *

The street was quiet. There was not a soul out and it only added to the eeriness of the situation. I could feel the blood in my veins pumping furiously to keep up with my heart's demands.

My breath was coming out as thick clouds in the cold, as well as the ten men around me. At a quick glance, I could see all of my and Ruslan's men were eager to get started.

As per Luka's instructions, I sent three of my men, including Jesse, around the back way. We needed that extra edge, and if everyone was distracted downstairs, they could get her out.

If Nathan was here and he noticed I wasn't with the group downstairs, he would know something was wrong. I had to rely on my brothers to get Roza out of that room safely.

I took a final drag from the cigarette in my mouth, before letting the butt drop to the ground. " _Let's go then_."

Everything moved in a blur that was too quick to keep up with.

I had originally considered offering the men inside a chance at a peaceful trade; their lives for Roza's. But something told me that they would refuse. They were a stubborn and prideful group.

So I went with the offensive approach.

Throwing my entire weight into the front entrance had not only startled the men in the lobby, but also caught them off guard.

I didn't bother talking to the startled men. I simply shouted in my native tongue as the room filled with the two opposing Mafias. The boys had been skittish for weeks, and watching them release that impulse to just _punch_ something, brought a smile on my face.

My men were dangerous and brutal. I watched Anton smash his own head into the nose of one of Nathan's men; a smile that would have been considered maniacal plastered on his face. He himself had a split lip and a bloody nose, but it was obvious he hadn't noticed. He was pumped full of adrenaline and high on the fight.

The room was quickly filled with shouting and fighting, but I couldn't see any sign of Nathan. I was yet to determine if that was a good or bad thing.

I noticed the flash of long hair as a woman ran up the staircase, hair that was too dark to be Roza's, but nevertheless, made my heart skip a beat. We were so close to getting her, so close.

I rolled my neck, cracking the bones and turned to survey more of the carnage unfolding around me. It was twisted, but it made me feel like a King. A King that was overseeing a battle being held in his name. It was an honor.

These men were risking their lives for the life of my woman. I would forever be in their debts.

Debts that I would be paying back sooner than I had originally gathered for some.

I fired the first shot of the night.

My bullet hit the shoulder blade of a black-haired gangster. I had caught the glint of a knife that was progressing quickly towards Ruslan. The shot seemed to shock the entire room, freezing fights instantly. But it was the shot that had flipped my brothers. Once that first shot was fired, all bets were off.

The boys could play as dirty as they wanted.

So they did.

The opposing Mafia members were down in seconds and the entire building fell silent.

Everyone was frozen in our spots; it was too quiet. I was almost scared that if I moved I would set off something. Like someone was laying in wait for me.

Against my gut telling me to not move, my body lurched forward. And just as I had thought, the second my foot touched the ground again a loud scream echoed from upstairs and through the entire building. Quickly followed by the shouting of my men, both in Russian and English.

But it wasn't just any scream. It was Roza's.

"I'll fucking shoot her!" I heard someone yell hastily from the upper level.

"Roza!" I yelled hoarsely, letting my feet take me to where I was still hearing her scared screams. I bounded up the stairs in record speed, but not fast enough it seemed. I seemed to be _too late_ a lot lately.

A shot rang out through the hallways.

Another quickly following it.

The sounds of the shots stopped me in my tracks and made my heart sink with dread.

There was no more screaming.

I continued on and as I rounded the corner, my worst fear became my reality.

A short-barrel gun lay beside the still body of Isaiah. Blood was quickly pooling underneath him and around the woman who was half under him and also still.

I watched breathlessly as one of my men ran and slid down to her level, pulling her out from underneath Isaiah's dead body. Misha held her against his leg, propping her up slightly so that he could look over her.

The more I watched the limpness of her limbs, the more my heart sunk.

He pressed his ear up against her chest, and then touched her neck. Trying to find a pulse. He said something in Russian to one of the other men, and for the first time in my life; I couldn't understand Russian.

My eyes strained to hold her figure as my vision clouded, but I couldn't mistake her anywhere.

Long and toned legs that belonged to my Roza.

The black silk slip that seemed to be her favorite.

Dark red blood that was smeared over her arms, legs, and chest, soaking through the slip and staining her skin.

She hated guns.

She thought they were cheating.


	17. A Despair

**_Author's Note:_**

 _I cannot apologize enough for how late this chapter is!_

 _I suffer from migraines most weeks out the month, but the last couple of weeks have been especially bad because of extra stress I've put on myself. Due to that, I had an extreme inability to write and whatever I did write, just didn't sound right to me._

 _This chapter wasn't agreeing with me this last two weeks but I've finally gotten it to a point where I'm mostly happy!_

 _-RCap_

* * *

 _ **Rose.**_

 _ **Chicago, February 19, 1925.**_

 _"Stay hidden until they come for you."_

They were the last words that Luka had said to me before disappearing from my room. As always, he locked the door behind him and left me to wait.

Dimitri was coming though. He was coming.

The past few days had been horrible without him. While I was still angry at him for that night at the club, all I wanted was to be back in his arms. I wanted to feel the same security that I felt when he was around. Being without him had shown me how accustomed I had become to that feeling of security.

I spent the rest of my day anxiously fidgeting. I straightened out the bed and cleaned up the few messes I had made. But the sheer lack of activity the room had seen meant I was done within minutes. I even attempted to read my novel again but failed miserably. Reading just wasn't my forte.

I perched myself on the edge of the bed. My hands were clenched tightly into fists, forcing my nails deep into the skin of my palms. But the pain was easily forgotten with how anxious I was.

Unconsciously, my knees bounced and I chewed at the insides of the cheeks and lips. It wasn't until I tasted the coppery tang of blood that I knew I needed to occupy myself.

Time wasn't moving any faster or slower around me. Luka hadn't even given me a time, just " _tonight_ ". It was a hardly helpful description.

Assuming that I still had hours until the rescue, I decided that a shower wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. The moment the water ran over me, I knew I had made the right decision.

The hot water immediately began relaxing my tense muscles and the bubbling anxiety. The sounds of the water hitting the shower curtain were oddly relaxing as well. It reminded me of rain on a tin roof, something I could easily fall asleep to.

Stepping out looking more flushed than when I walked in, I reached out for a towel only to see my clothes had been taken. Again.

 _Every fucking time_. I thought to myself. Inna always snuck in while I was asleep or showering to take my clothes and replace them. I had even finally managed to get a dress with more coverage, but now that was gone and replaced once again with my revealing slip.

I wished that they could have provided me with some clothing that was more substantial than my washed slip. But there was no way for Luka to get me clothes without it looking suss.

So I sucked it up and dressed in the black slip. But onceit started to get later into the night, my anxiety returned in full force with Luka's words running through my mind over and over again.

 _Stay hidden. Stay hidden._

So I did. I was huddled in the bathroom. Hugging my bare knees to my chest as I waited. My heart was beating frantically with excitement at this point and I gripped my knees tightly.

It could be at any moment that I would hear them, and yet I didn't know what I was listening out for. Would there be shots? Would there be yelling? Would I be snuck out? I didn't know what to expect.

* * *

I wasn't sure how much time passed while I was in the bathroom. It felt like hours that I stared at the tiles and the water on them. But when the sounds of yelling began drifting through the hallway outside, I knew that this was it.

Dimitri was here, and he was coming for me.

I scrambled up from my place on the tiles and jumped to my feet. Pressing my back firmly into the wall behind me, I waited for Dimitri to storm through the door - like death in a cowboy duster.

My hands shook with anticipation as I waited for that door to fling open. I didn't move from my concealed place in the bathroom just like I was told, but I listened closely for the lock to break.

I could hear nothing but yelling and fighting. The thin walls did nothing to keep it out. I could hear it under my feet, almost vibrating the floorboards. The language that I had grown all too familiar with was screamed left right and center, but none of it made any sense to me.

But even among the loud shouting, I couldn't mistake the sound of my door finally unlocking.

Dimitri had gotten through.

I pushed myself off the wall and practically ran from my hiding spot into the light of the room. My lips were pulled into an unconcealable smile, I couldn't force my face straight. But what I saw was the exact opposite of what I _wanted_ to see, and promptly wiped the smile off of my face.

Instead of being faced with Dimitri, I was standing parallel to Inna's tiny frame.

I froze upon seeing her, my blood running cold as I came to terms with why she would be in my room. I knew why she would be here, she was trained and was a lot stronger than she looked.

It didn't take much to figure out that Nathan would have freaked out with Dimitri storming in; therefore sending Inna upstairs to finish me off. I _needed_ to stall her, not only until Dimitri got upstairs, but for my life.

"Now hang on a sec." I put my hands up in front of me, taking a small step back towards the bathroom.

My words went straight over her head though, and she flicked open a small pocketknife in her hand.

Noticing the blade for the first time made my entire body fill with dread. I was so startled at noticing the knife that I almost didn't see her leap towards me with it drawn openly.

Something in me snapped just in time and I managed to jump out of her way, pushing her shoulder as I jumped. She must have had too much momentum behind her leap because she stumbled into the small bedside table - hard. But not before the knife sliced across the arm I had pushed her with.

It wasn't the pain of the slice that made me flinch, but the feeling of the warm blood beginning to trickle down my arm and over my hand. I glanced down to my right arm briefly to see the cut weep and sting.

I considered the fact that I wasn't stabbed more fatally a victory.

But that small victory was short lived as she quickly straightened herself out and started advancing on me once more. I tried to not stare at the knife she still gripped nor my blood that stained its tip. I had to focus on her movements, and if I forgot about the knife I ran the risk of it cutting something more vital than my arm.

She came for me again but this time I didn't jump away. I used what Dimitri taught me instead by moving towards her faster than she was coming towards me. The sudden close proximity meant that I could knock the knife from her.

It was almost as if everything slowed down around us as we both watched my wrist connect with her own. The knife fell to the ground a few meters away from us. The metal clattered against the wood and the sound echoed through my ears.

I didn't know where the idea came from, but while she was somewhat distracted, I gripped a handful of her dark hair and yanked her backward hard. I could feel the hair tear in my hand, and her quick cry of pain only proved that it fucking hurt.

I threw her and jumped for where the knife had fallen. But I wasn't quick enough. I just didn't get close enough before Inna barreled into me. Throwing us both to the ground, we landed with her straddling me - a position I really didn't want to be in.

She had clearly disregarded the knife completely as she wrapped her hands around my throat. Her fingers tightened around my neck as small but ragged breaths escaped me.

Lifting my head with her grip around my neck, she slammed me back down to the ground. That's when everything went blurry and hazy. The edges of my vision began to blacken and my fingernails scratched at her wrists. But as my breathing became scarcer, so did my energy.

The only thing I could make out was the emptiness and anger in her eyes as my lungs burned with the pain of breathing. She had the same look in her eyes that Nathan possessed. _That_ kind of anger reaped immense pain. It was all too similar to the look of death.

And it was if I could see my own death in her eyes, and surprisingly it felt warm. It was like a warm blanket slowly enveloping around me; a comforting hug like my mother used to give me.

Thinking of my mother made me yearn for her. If I died, I could see her again. I could be with her. She always said that she would be proud of me no matter what. Did that include _giving up_?

 _But who will be with Baba? Who will be with Dimitri? What about the life growing inside you?_

My mother always wanted to see me with a family. She wanted me to find love in my life. What kind of person would I be if I gave up what I had?

A sudden kick of strength filled me. Who was I to let someone else dictate when I died? My death would _not_ be penciled into someone diary or planned. I would not die at the hands of someone other than myself. If my body decided it was time, then so be it. But I'd be damned if I let someone _else_ take my life away from me.

I flayed my arm out beside me with my last speck of strength. When my fingers were met with the cool metal of Inna's pocketknife, relief flooded through me in rolling waves. The waves acted as an adrenaline boost and I gripped the hilt tightly before blindly aiming for Inna's arm.

The knife unexpectedly slid into the muscle effortlessly. Like cutting through butter - it was faced with no resistance. The lack of resistance could only tell me my aim was _seriously_ off.

The grip she had on my neck went to her own. My vision returned substantially, and my chest heaved as my lungs tried to grasp onto as much air as possible.

I looked back up to Inna, but she had a very far away look in her eyes this time. There was no more anger or fire. The emptiness was still there but it was different than before - she looked confused.

My eyes flicked to where her hands cupped her throat and I watched in horror as she pulled out her own knife.

I had done that.

Deep in my shocked trance, I didn't notice the sudden gaping hole in her neck gushing with blood. It dripped down her own body before falling on to me still below her.

"Oh my God," I croaked breathlessly as I scrambled out from underneath her, but not before she slumped backward.

Despite the fact that she had just come inches away from killing me, I hadn't meant to hurt her like this!

"I-I didn't mean to..." I gasped out.

I slid onto my knees as my blood pumped deafeningly in my ears. I couldn't hear myself think as I tried to put pressure on her neck and help slow down the bleeding. But I didn't know how to help her. I didn't know how to save her life.

I didn't know if _anyone_ could at this point.

I could feel tears begin to stream down my cheeks, but I couldn't hear myself cry. I could only look down at Inna as she bled to death beneath my hands. I did this. I killed someone.

My breathing came out short and shallow. Quick snips of air and her life faded from her eyes. I felt the flow of blood slow beneath my hand and I slowly peeled it off her before allowing my face to contort with pain. This wasn't how it was meant to go. No one was meant to die. No one.

Not me, and certainly not Inna.

I don't know what it was, but I felt something pushing on my chest. It wasn't something corporeal, but it still felt as if it were breaking the bones in my chest. It pressed down harder until it felt like I was choking again. But it wasn't anyone but me.

It was guilt.

I looked down at the blood on my hands and stifled a cry. I was covered in her blood. I could feel it soaking the front of my slip and making it heavier and it was smeared over my thighs and chest. This wasn't good.

My hearing came back to me suddenly in the form of a shot.

My head jarred upwards to the still open door before quickly looking back down at Inna's lifeless body.

Within seconds there were more shots, successfully snapping me back to myself. I had to get out of here. I couldn't help Inna anymore.

I got to my feet shakily before stumbling towards the door. But I didn't get two steps out of the frame before I was grabbed again.

An elbow hooked around my neck, pulling me up and back until I was pressed against the chest of someone. I screamed instinctively but I didn't even have the energy to fight anyone anymore.

I looked into the eyes of men I didn't know, men who were quickly dropping their aim on whoever had me. They talked in Russian between themselves, obviously recognizing me as the reason for all this death - as the reason people died tonight.

"I'll fucking shoot her!" my captor yelled, pressing the barrel of his gun hard into my temple. From the moment his mouth opened I knew who it was.

Isaiah.

He was using me as a human shield against them. _Pathetic_ , I thought to myself, internally rolling my eyes.

But deep down and past that distaste of him using me as a shield, I had a real fear that I had just dodged death in one corner only to meet him again in another.

I didn't doubt that Isaiah would shoot me without a second thought. If he got spooked enough, he _would_ pull that trigger.

"Please don't let him kill me," I whispered between gasps as tears continued running down my cheeks.

I couldn't even put into words how truly scared I was. It seemed that every single moment in my life had been leading up to this. Every happy memory and every dark reminder of my past, only lead to being taken down when I was so close to freedom.

Life was taunting me at this point. Of course, it would wait until I was close to having everything I wanted. Of course, it would want to rip that away from me.

The two Russian men standing in front of me held their palms up. But while one argued with Isaiah, an unknown blonde focused his attention on me. His blue eyes pleaded for me to stay calm, but I couldn't stop my gasps of breath coming out as small screams.

Every time Isaiah pulled on me, his hold on my throat became tighter and I would scream again.

This was it. I knew I was going to die here. I had fought Inna because I believed I had a reason to live. But my reason to live hadn't outweighed her own. I didn't have a reason to be spared again.

A shot rang out around my ears, making me not only wince but also stopped all screaming from me.

Warmth started creeping over me. Like my slip was soaking through with hot water. I felt a tightness in my shoulder and a burn like someone was pressing down on me with a pointed heel.

Then there was another shot but there wasn't any more warmth. I had been pulled too deep into the eyes of the Russian in front of me to snap out of my trance-like state. As quickly as the warmth had come, pain then followed it. But before I could feel the entirety of it, I felt both Isaiah and I falling and everything went dark around me.

But unlike the last time I was knocked unconscious, I felt every tug and hand on me. I could feel my head droop loosely as hands wrapped around me, pulling me away from the sticky warmth touching my skin.

My eyes fluttered uselessly between open and closed. When they opened for milliseconds at a time, I only saw blurred figments. I saw red, lots of red. I saw flashes of blond hair and hands roaming over my chest and neck. I heard a foreign language and even a cry of delight.

" _Ona zhiva. Ona zhiva._ " I don't know who was chanting the Russian words, but the more he spoke them, the happier they sounded.

I felt my body moving, almost as if was being passed over. The next time my eyes fluttered open, I was caught in molten pools of brown. The eyes that had brought me so much happiness and pain at the same time. I had never seen him cry before then, but his tears were unmistakable.

I felt Dimitri's hands cup around my face, cradling me like I was precious cargo. My vision was starting to slip away from me again, and despite how much I wanted to hold onto my consciousness I knew I couldn't for much longer.

But I didn't need to hold on. I wasn't going to die. Perhaps it _wasn't_ my time, at least not _yet_ anyway.

* * *

I drifted in and out of consciousness after that.

Everything blurred into seconds, but it must have been hours that I was out. I woke in snippets. Some of those snippets were more painful than others.

My shoulder still burned even when I was floating aimlessly in darkness. I could still feel the pressure of the pain, and at some points, it hurt enough to wake me up briefly. Whenever my eyes opened, they met with Dimitri's eyes. But as quick as opened my eyes, I would drift off once more.

I woke briefly again when I was submerged in warm water.

I could hear everything around me, but I couldn't understand a thing. The only thing that I could make out was my name being whispered over and over again by Dimitri. I could hear it above everything. I could hear the desperation in his voice whenever I came to for a few seconds.

I felt his hands and the warm water wash over me and I felt his caution over my shoulder that must have been injured. When I opened my eyes, I could only see blood-stained water.

I felt the towel as it glided over my skin, drying me from when Dimitri had bathed me. I could feel how tender he was with me, running it softer of where my skin was bruised.

I felt when he hovered his hand over my stomach, his long and strong fingers only pressing lightly to where there would soon be a bump.

* * *

When I woke, it was with a jolt. My entire body jerked awake and it was like I was breathing for the first time. My lungs craved air – air that I had been restricted of earlier.

I sat upright to find that I was in my bed, wrapped in the silky white bed sheets I owned. I reached out tentatively to the right side of my bed, full well knowing that it was empty. But I had to touch it. Perhaps if the sheets were warm, it meant Dimitri was nearby.

But when my arm stretched out, it was as if all that pain from earlier returned. My shoulder burned intensely as I swore in pain, "Fuck!"

I looked down at my right arm, finding my shoulder wrapped in bright white bandages as well as my forearm. The largest bandage wrapped around my upper shoulder and a bit of my collarbone. The whiteness of them against my skin frightened me, as it meant the pain in my shoulder wasn't imagined - it had in fact been very real.

"Try not to jerk it too much," a low voice echoed from the window of my room.

My head snapped up to the owner before relaxing instantly. It was reassuring to know that Dimitri was here. I breathed a sigh of relief as I relaxed more into my surroundings. Suddenly everything around me made a lot more sense. _My_ bed and _my_ room.

"What happened?" I asked quietly, my words coming out croakily.

"Jesse had an opening. He didn't think the bullet would pass through Isaiah and get you though. It was touch and go there until Misha found the wound in your arm. I was preparing myself for the worst until I heard him say you were alive."

I sat quietly as I let Dimitri's words process through me and connect with what I _did_ remember. "Jesse?" I queried, almost hoping that I had heard him wrong.

Pushing himself off the wall, Dimitri took a couple of steps towards my bed hesitantly. "I organized for the San Francisco boys to come help. Jesse latched on for the ride. He wanted to make it up to you."

I nodded slowly before speaking, "Remind me to thank him then." My voice quivered slightly as I spoke, almost coming out as a nervous laugh.

I tried to roll my neck and shoulders, but the bite of pain from my injured shoulder promptly stopped me. I cried out again, a little louder this time though. I had already forgotten that I was supposed to be careful.

Dimitri practically jumped out of his skin and came towards the bed, muttering something in Russian that I didn't understand. Most likely chastising me.

"You need to be careful, Milaya. You'll tear the stitches," he tsked in English this time.

"Stitches? I thought you said I was _shot_?" I grumbled.

"You _were_ , Roza. But when we got a Doctor here she said the bullet shattered. She wanted to get as many fragments out as possible before you started healing."

"Oh," I whispered sheepishly as I watched him inspect the bandages. It didn't feel like I had torn anything, and there was no blood seeping through, so I took that as a good sign.

We stayed quiet for a while after that. Both of us sitting still and quietly in the moon lit room. I was perfectly content just staring at him, memorizing all the things I had been scared I would never see again. It seemed as if he were doing the exact same to me.

I didn't tense up when he reached out to place a strand of my hair behind my ear, nor when he moved closer to me. I was still mad at him from the way he had broken up with me, but for now, I just wanted to kiss him. I needed to convince myself that he was really here and he wasn't leaving this time. I could deal with the rest later.

"I thought I was going to lose you," he murmured with only a hairs length between our lips.

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered back before surging forward.

Our lips met softly and it felt like everything around us melted away. It was just the two of us at that moment. Neither of us wanted to rush the tender moment or what it possessed. It was just us, and we were happy with that.

The kiss was like something out of a movie. It was so light that it sent tremors throughout my entire body, and uprooted my desire instantly.

Suddenly I didn't want it to be so gentle. I didn't want him to kiss me like I would break in his hands I wanted him to convince me that he was really here and he wasn't going anywhere.

I took the kiss into my own hands and pulled him closer to me using my good arm. I felt Dimitri smile into the kiss and I used the smile to trace my tongue along his bottom lip softy.

He groaned into my mouth and opened his lips willingly for me. Suddenly it felt as if we hadn't spent days apart. Everything came back like a snap, and we instinctively fell into the roles we had created previously with each other.

He laid me softly back onto the mattress, careful that he didn't place me on my right side and that he supported most of my weight.

As I laid on my back with Dimitri hovering over me, one of his long legs shifted to rest between my thighs. He applied the lightest of pressure on my body. Not enough to be constricting, but enough that it created a need in me.

I wound my good arm around his neck tighter, using it to pull him down deeper to me and he keenly obliged.

As our tongues danced and our bodies moved closer, I felt one of his hands begin to trace the curve of my breast and ribcage before dipping down to my waist.

My abdomen begin to simmer with desire the further down his hand traveled, and I unconsciously arched closer to him. But as his brushed over my stomach I pulled back abruptly.

Dimitri regarded me with an alarmed look before I blurted out what had coursed through my mind.

"I'm pregnant."

Dimitri's worried expression quickly relaxed into a lazy smile and he moved off me to that he was resting on the mattress beside me. "I know," he whispered before kissing my lips lightly.

Still unable to react though, I only repeated my words but with more conviction. My state of shock only caused Dimitri to laugh as he placed his hand softly on my still flat stomach.

" _I know_ ," he said more strongly this time. "Soon we will have a baby."

"So you _do_ want this baby?" I breathed. I wouldn't lie and say I hadn't been worried that Dimitri may not want this child. I had only just found out about the pregnancy before telling Luka to relay it to him.

I knew that he wanted a family one-day, but this was very early in our relationship and we weren't even married. This baby was a product of our own stupidity, but yet it felt so right.

"Of course I want this child, Roza. I want it, _even more_ , knowing you are the mother."

My heart swelled at his words and already it was as if I could see our entire future more clearly. Nothing else mattered but our small family, and it felt all too right.

My left elbow nudged up as if it were reminding me of the past few days. Both Dimitri and I looked down at where a small bruise had formed on the inside of my elbow - where Luka had injected me with dope.

"Do you think it will be okay?" I asked quietly, trying to somewhat mask the terror in my voice. My body had been under a lot of stress this past couple of days, and everyone knew that it wasn't good for a pregnancy.

"The Doctor thinks so. She did a quick examination…after you were clean and the bullet shards were removed. But she wants you to keep an eye out for any blood. That's when we should worry."

I nodded quickly and nuzzled myself into the crook of Dimitri's neck. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and kissed my forehead, "We are going to be fine, Roza."

"Why did the Doctor come here? Why not take me to the hospital?" I mumbled into his chest.

"Your father thought it would be safer if you were kept away from public places for now," Dimitri said cautiously.

"Safer? Why wouldn't I be safer at a hospital?" I mumbled while leaning slightly back so I could look Dimitri in the eyes.

I could see the hesitancy swirling in them. He looked genuinely worried for my safety. But I just didn't understand _why_ the panic?

"Nathan wasn't at the clinic. We don't know where he is."

 _That would do it_.

"He's going to come after me." I shivered thinking of how angry he would be that I got away. I wasn't safe until he was either dead or locked away. Even locked away was still risky. He could still do a lot of damage from behind bars.

"He will, but we don't think you getting away is what will set him off."

"Then what? What could be worse than his game being over?" I scoffed.

Dimitri looked down at me with a strange look in his eyes. He knew something that I didn't, and it seemed important.

"Inna is... _was_ his girlfriend. Once he finds out what happened to her, I don't think he will hold back."

I had forgotten entirely about Inna. I had forgotten about the scariest part of the night. Now that I wasn't fighting for life, I opened the gate within me and let the guilt flow through me.

I felt that same crushing feeling that I had while watching her life drain out of her eyes. It was a sight I would never forget and the guilt would never leave me.

I killed someone who was as equally important to someone as Dimitri was to me. I killed the love of someone's life. All I could think of was how distraught I would be if someone took Dimitri from me, and here I was reaping that feeling and dishing it out to Nathan.

"I killed her, Dimitri," I gasped out, tears brimming in my eyes. "I _murdered_ someone..."

"No, Milaya!" Dimitri growled. He moved back so that he could cup my cheeks and his strong eyes focused on me. "She was going to kill you. You panicked and defended yourself."

"You can't just say it was defense and expect me to believe it. I killed her, Dimitri! _I killed her_. She didn't deserve to die."

"Roza, I'm not trying to convince you that what happened tonight was right. But she was going to _kill_ you, and I won't apologize for being happy that I have you sitting her in front of me, rather than the other way round."

"I could lie to you and say that you will get over it, but that wouldn't be fair to either of us. I've done my own fair share or horrible things - things I will regret for the rest of my life. But I do them so that the people I care about can survive. I took my _own_ father's life, Roza. But I did it to save my family. The same applies to you."

"Mourn and grieve, but please don't let this destroy you. Don't let it consume who you really are. You were caught in a tight spot and you did what you had to do to survive!"

The image of Inna lying on the floor boards would always haunt me. It would stay with me for a long, long time. I had done something horrible even if my intentions has been self-survival. It didn't make it right.

But despite not being able to shake the blood from behind my eyes, I knew Dimitri was right. I couldn't let this consume me. I couldn't let it be who I was.

"What am I going to do," I whispered, covering my eyes with my palms. There was too much that had happened. Everything had gone to shit around us.

I heard Dimitri take a breath, exhaling slowly before he spoke. "I want to take you home."

"Home? Isn't that where I am, Comrade?" I scoffed skeptically.

"Not here," he chuckled lightly. " _My_ home. I want to take you back to Russia and as far away from Nathan as possible. To where he can't find us and I can protect you."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _We are nearing the end of this story unfortunately (7 chapters to go)._

 _But I want all my amazing followers to know that I have **posted a new story!**_

 _My new story is proving extremely challenging but it's got me excited as I have 90% of it all mapped and planned out. It's written entirely in third-person._

 _It's a very different concept, but you may be surprised by it if you give it a read. Check out an extended summary below:_

 ** _Bad Intentions:_**

 _What if Ivan had never died? What if two years after graduating, Rose died protecting the last Dragomir Princess? What if Dimitri and Rose met at an upscale bar in New York, but neither of them were Dhampirs?_

 _The normally peaceful streets of Paris have been torn apart, and not hypothetically. Rose and Dimitri are busy building their empire, using the fruits of Paris as their tools. Slowly, they are building fear among not only the Moroi community but also the Human world._

 _They kill mercilessly and are quickly acquiring an army of awakened Dhampirs. But how long can it all last once Lissa and Ivan join forces, hoping to bring their Guardian's souls back to them?_

 _With the Parisian Guardians wanting to track them down and kill them, it's a matter of who gets to them first._

 _'Cause in the end, anyone who says they will give you the world must have bad intentions._


	18. An Eludication

**_Dimitri._**

 ** _Chicago. March 1925._**

It had been almost three weeks since we rescued Roza from the clinic, and we were still yet to find Nathan. He had just up and disappeared. The notion didn't fall from my mind that he had run and that we wouldn't be able to find him again.

But something inside me told me that wasn't his style. We hadn't heard the last of Nathan, and if Roza's reaction to him being unaccounted for was any indicator – she was worried as well.

The only time she had left her apartment was when we moved her temporarily into mine. Her Chicago Avenue apartment was empty for the time being, just in case Nathan did decide to make any surprise visits.

It wasn't only Roza that we were protecting anymore. We had more lives to be cautious about. While I wanted to dedicate all my attention to Roza and the child growing inside her, I knew that I also had to keep an eye out for the women that worked and lived with Roza.

With her roommates moved out for the time being and staying with their significant others – there was nothing stopping Roza from staying out of sight and letting her body heal from the ordeal it had been through.

But I could see it slowly turning her mad.

She had been cooped up in my apartment, completely banned from leaving. She had started doing things that I had never seen or heard of her doing before. Just small actions that proved just how bored she was.

I tried to ensure that there was always someone at the apartment with her. I preferred it to be myself, but unfortunately, I still had a job to do. With Stan now permanently off my case and nobody tailing me, I reclaimed the job that I had originally come to Chicago to do.

I had a cell to run and a future for Roza and me to plan.

Which was why I needed her happy as well, and she wasn't going to be if she was stuck in that apartment for only God knew how long.

Having _that_ talk with Abe had resulted in a meeting with Captain Croft of the Chicago Police Department.

Captain Croft always made out that he was an ethical and honest Police Captain. But what he didn't know was that _I_ knew more about his dirty dealings than he thought.

While he wasn't the most corrupt cop in the city, he definitely had his weak spots. Spots where he had accepted (and continued to accept) bribes that keep certain underground distilleries in business.

The man enjoyed his whiskey.

There were barely any clean cops left in this city, and while that could have bugged me slightly on a normal day – today I was glad.

We were about to see just _how_ crooked Captain Croft was, and what he was willing to turn a blind eye to in the name of money.

* * *

"Do you really think I can be bought, Mr. Mazur?" Captain Croft sneered from across the desk.

We had made sure that the club would be empty for this meeting. No employees and no other Bratva members – just the three of us.

Captain Croft had certainly mastered the art of keeping a straight face. He didn't give a single thought away. His face hadn't changed as we did a walk through the club, although I couldn't help but notice him pay particular attention to the empty bar.

When the cops had arrived after Stan's death, it was easy to bypass their questions on the layout of the club. The previous owner of the club had owned the building before Prohibition had come into effect. When it eventually became 'The Royal Court', it was only a few short months after the new laws came in, but nevertheless, the club had been a prominent figure since it had first opened its doors.

Back in Abe's office, the air around us was slightly cooler. Croft continued to glare over at the both of us. His words had almost made me laugh, but I knew that wouldn't have made anything better – so I kept my mouth shut and let Abe take the reins on this one.

"I think _anyone_ can be bought for the right price, Captain Croft. I believe you are no different," Abe smiled while leaning back in his chair.

Croft kept his face neutral, but he unintentionally let some of his smugness past his façade. The corners of his lips curled into somewhat of a smile as he thought about the money that we could offer him.

His eyes darted from Abe to me where they narrowed slightly, "How do I know that this will stay under wraps? I'm not exactly familiar with everyone in the room. Who even _are_ you?"

"Business associate and my daughter's partner. Remember? The young woman this is all about?" Abe grinned while letting the information settle in.

I smiled similarly to Abe. Croft's eyes looked over me as if he were assessing me, and he didn't try to hide that he was trying to decide if I was trustworthy enough.

"Dimitri wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my daughter's happiness or her life. I made the mistake and doubting where his loyalties lied once. I recommend that you learn from my mistake."

One of Croft's eyebrows rose as he listened to Abe. His eyes darted back to Abe, but the smugness that he had let slip through before all but disappeared – leaving us once again in the dark about his intentions.

"What exactly is it you're after, Mazur? I don't have any more men to assign to the protection of your daughter-"

"We have all the bruisers we need, _Croft_ ," Abe cut off, leaning forward so that his elbows returned to the desk. "I want protection for my club."

Croft opened his mouth to most likely dispute, but Abe cut him off once again.

"I want to bring my daughter out of the apartment she's been locked in for three weeks. We have a guest that will be joining us tonight and I want her to have some sort of normalcy, especially after everything she went through."

I looked at Abe out of the corner of my eye uneasily. I wasn't sure if he was indulging to get his way, but I hadn't been told of any "visitor".

"I _just_ said that I can't provide-"

"It's not Rose that I want you to give protection to. This club had been the subject of many rumors over the year, and I have to say that all of them are true. I want amnesty for my speakeasy, my staff, and my patrons."

Croft didn't look overly surprised by Abe's reveal. But he also didn't seem to like the idea of turning a blind eye to an entire club.

If we brought Roza out of the apartment, the Detectives that were watching over her from outside would have to tail her. They were assigned to Roza, and that meant we risked exposure if they caught onto the activity of the club.

We needed Croft to grant amnesty otherwise we ran the risk of a wet bringing us down.

Unlike the distillery Croft pretended didn't exist; we were above ground and popular. We had people coming in and out every night. While most of those guests were regulars, it was easy to spot who was new and would possibly have ill intentions for the club.

We were harder to protect, but Abe had been doing it for more than five years so I didn't doubt that he knew exactly what he was doing. However, Croft didn't seem as convinced, and that meant we had to acknowledge something we really didn't want to.

We had kept Roza hidden for her own safety, and while it was driving her stir crazy we also knew that it may be the only reason Nathan hadn't come out of hiding yet.

None of us wanted to use Roza as _bait_ , but her being out and about might be the push that Nathan needed to expose himself. It wasn't like we were going to be putting Roza on stage; she was only going to socialize – not to perform.

"You never know, it may be what brings Nathan out of his hiding spot."

This time, Croft couldn't hide his reaction to Abe's comment. The temptation of taking down Nathan ultimately being too great.

"Throw in a bottle of the good stuff and you've got yourself a deal," Croft smiled, finally falling for Abe's pitch.

* * *

The sun was only just beginning to set when I arrived back at my apartment.

As I had every day for three weeks, I gave Detectives Steele and Stone stern nods as I passed their car. While I was grateful for the extra surveillance that Croft had allocated, I didn't feel that we required the help. My men and I were perfectly capable of handing a surprise appearance by Nathan. But I wouldn't deny giving Roza something that made her feel just that little bit safer. I would do anything to keep her safe, and if that meant playing nice with coppers, then so be it.

Standing out front of my door, I began smiling to myself as the faint murmurings of music began drifting slightly. As her days lately were long and boring, Roza had requested that I swing past her own apartment and pick up the record player.

Seeing as her entire life revolved around music, it made perfect sense that she would want that comfort at my apartment as well.

Shaking my head and trying to dial down the smile on my face, I unlocked the door and entered my apartment.

I had to blink a couple times to let my eyes adjust to what I was seeing before me.

While I was a neat and organized person, living with Ivan and Anton had ultimately resulted in me compromising and living with slight mess. But what I walked into was _not_ what I had left earlier in the morning.

Everything was clean. _Everything!_

I took my hat and duster off slowly before hanging them on the rack by the door. My eyes glazed over the completely spotless apartment. The sofas had been straightened out, the furniture had been wiped down and I was pretty sure the floors had been mopped as well.

"Roza?" I called out, trailing my hand over the back of the sofa while still gazing around. How had she done all this? She really must be bored. She only cleaned whenever Sydney made her.

"In here," she called back, her voice floating from the kitchen. I followed it unconsciously, my feet eager to take me to wherever she was.

How I found her was more unexpected than how I had found the apartment.

Her hands were submerged in soapy water contained by the metal basin. I leaned my body against the doorframe, watching her silently as she washed dishes that my brothers would have most likely left. She didn't need to be doing all the domestics, I didn't expect that of her for a single second.

She began humming along with the song playing throughout the apartment, swinging her hips so softly that I wouldn't have been able to spot the movement if it weren't for the dress' hem swaying.

Pushing myself away with a smile, I walked up behind her and pressed my body up against her back. Using one hand, I shifted the waves of brown hair off her neck and to one side, leaving the skin bare and begging for me.

I pressed a light kiss to her pulse point while wrapping one hand around her petite waist and pressing her back harder into me. My fingers stroked her still flat stomach and with a content sigh, her entire body molded into mine perfectly - every crevice I had suddenly filled by her warm body.

Taking her chin between two fingers, I tipped her face back so that she was angled up towards me. Smirking, I placed a harder kiss upon her slightly parted lips. She melted into the kiss, opening her lips fully to accommodate my tongue and deepen the kiss. We stayed like that for a few short seconds, both of us relishing in the feel and taste of the other.

I pulled back, leaving her breathless and her heart racing. Still smirking slyly to myself, I trailed soft kisses from the corner of her lips to where her ear joined her jaw. "I'm taking you to the club tonight," I breathed, immediately making her head jerk around to face me.

All tenderness of our moment was gone. The excitement of a night away from the apartment fully consumed her, the happiness sparkling in her endless brown eyes.

"Really?" she cried with excitement.

" _Really_ ," I reiterated. "But we still have a few hours until opening so until ten..." I trailed off, returning my lips to her neck with a bruising force.

" _Dimitri_..." she moaned incoherently, making my grin into my kiss and pull back.

I lifted her by her waist before she could object. Her hands splashed in the water as they were ripped out. A loud giggle erupted from her as I carried her to the dry bench and stepped into the space she made for me between her thighs.

"I'm all soapy, you're gonna get wet," she laughed loudly as she held her wet hands out to the side and slightly away from me.

The soap didn't bother me one bit, all I cared about was bringing that carefree and happy laugh out again. I only needed to hear it once to know I would do everything in my power to keep that sound coming.

Slowly I trailed my hands up the fronts of her thighs, gathering the fabric of her dress and allowing it to bunch up at her hips. I returned my lips to her neck, adorning the column with hot and wet kisses, listening, as her words became nothing but incoherent gasps.

"What…what if Anton comes out?" she moaned, threading her wet hands into my hair and dampening the locks.

I paused my ministrations briefly and rested my forehead into the crook of her neck. I thought about the probability of getting busted fucking in the kitchen – Roza and I didn't have a good track record of interruption-free sex. But then again, I couldn't recall seeing Tasha at the club yet while I was leaving; it was very possible she was here with Anton.

"Is Tasha here?" I asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, but why does that matter – _Oh God_!" Roza moaned as I returned my lips to her throat while simultaneously thrusting my aching groin into her own – showing her just how much I didn't care where we were.

She locked her legs around my waist, crossing her ankles at the base of my back and pulling me closer to her.

"It doesn't matter because-" I leaned out slightly and reached behind my neck, pulling my shirt off and throwing it on the ground- "it means they are busy themselves. Anton won't leave that room unless someone is screaming."

Reaching down to my belt, Roza hurriedly clawed at the buckle until it unlatched. With the belt undone and forgotten, she busied herself with my buttons and zipper before dipping her hand into my cotton trunks.

"I'm not liking my chances of being a _silent_ participator in this, comrade," Roza moaned while wrapping her hand around me and squeezing slightly.

"Well, milaya. You better try, because I'm not gonna make it easy for you."

I wrapped my hands tighter around her waist, attacking her neck with my lips once more. While my lips occupied themselves and her legs locked around my hips, I dipped a hand between us to stroke the damp silk fabric that kept us separated.

I didn't stop until she begged me to. Not until she was moaning my name in my ear with desperation.

Leaning back to watch her, I smirked as her eyes fluttered closed and soft moans escaped her lips. There was something so beautiful about Roza that I would never be able to look past. Sitting there with a red flush over her tanned cheeks and chest, I knew that I was the luckiest man alive.

Stroking her sensitive flesh through the silk wasn't only driving _her_ mad now, but also myself. Getting impatient with the pace I had set, I gripped the silk panties and pulled them off, sliding them over her thighs before letting them drop to the floor.

As they dropped to the floor, so did my knees.

I stared up at Roza from the floor, the bench a perfect height for me to pleasure her in all ways possible. Spreading her thighs so that she was exposed perfectly to me, I placed delicate kisses on the insides of her soft thighs slowly before reaching the bundle of nerves waiting for me.

I ran my tongue over the velvet, tasting the sweet tonic that coated the warm skin. My tongue glided over her; darting occasionally forwards to the nub that was desperate for attention, before dipping back down to the source of the nectar. With every probe and ministration, I was rewarded with a breathless moan or gasp. Her fingers tangled themselves in my damp hair, keeping me on my task - she needn't worry about me abandoning my dedication to her pleasure. My entire world revolved around her at this point, she would always come first to me.

I looked up at her, catching her as her eyes fluttered closed and she bit her bottom lip - stifling a more _erogenous_ moan than her previous ones had been.

I quickened the tempo of my tongue when I began to feel her flutter. Adding a digit to her swollen mound, she ripped a hand out of my hair and bit in her palm - effectively cutting off her moans as she came on my tongue.

I didn't allow her to ride out her orgasm though. Once I was satisfied the pleasure had left her benumbed to the world around her, I returned to my feet and replaced my finger with my cock. I gripped underneath her knees, pulling her to me while simultaneously sliding into her.

I moved in and out of her with long and controlled strokes, focusing on each gasp that escaped her. While I was very much dedicated to her pleasure, my own was beginning to catch up with me.

Overtime, my controlled thrusts became more animalistc as my natural urge for her body began to take all precedience. Someone was making a lot of noise, almost enough that would get us busted.

Realizing it was Roza, I surged forward and kissed her deeply, swallowing the remainder of her moans as a mind-numbing pleasure began to surge through me. What finally sent me over the edge was feeling her shiver and clamp down on me, signaling she was just as close to her climax as I was.

I brought my mouth to her neck, my blunt teeth nipping at the skin where I knew would make her melt. With a final powerful thrust and my teeth biting her flesh, a guttural moan escaped one or the both of us and made that edge non-existent - both of us falling over it together.

Resting my head in the crook of her neck, I placed soft kisses over her glistening skin and the small indentations from my bite. Giving us a silent moment to come back to ourselves.

Once I was certain that I was stable enough, I leaned out and brushed the backs of my fingers over her flushed cheeks and then over her plump bottom lip. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said quietly as the blush on her cheeks intensified

Knowing that our orgasms had been loud enough to alert the house, I pulled out of her abruptly and tucked myself back into my trunks. Without giving Roza a chance to speak, I pulled my slacks back up, not bothering to do them up and bent down to scoop up her discarded panties, shoving them in my pocket.

I wrapped an arm around my Goddess' waist and pulled her to me, allowing her to wrap her legs around me before I walked us out of the kitchen and towards my own room.

I kicked the door shut with my foot and threw Roza onto the perfectly made bed. Her entire body bounced with the action and the same laugh from before erupted into the room.

I stared down at the beauty in my bed as if I were sizing up my prey. But if the hungry look in her eyes was any indication - Roza wasn't prey but a huntress herself.

* * *

Hours later, I lay on my bed under the thin bedsheet with my hands behind my head, watching with awe as Roza padded around the room in nothing but a brassiere and her panties. To say she was excited for tonight would have been an understatement.

Watching as she manouvered around the room, my gaze always dropped to her stomach.

She wasn't showing yet and her stomach was still toned and flat as she pranced around the room, but I couldn't wait for the day that her stomach began growing.

She was eleven weeks into her pregnancy – at least that's what we tracked it back to. It was a rough estimate, but the Doctor who had assessed Roza after she was rescued agreed with our timeline.

But past her excited smile, I could see a glint of worry in her eyes – telling me that she was putting on a brave face. I knew that behind the smile and her eagerness to get out of the apartment, she also feared that Nathan would make an appearance.

Lately, she had had trouble sleeping. She woke regularly from nightmares that frightened her to the point of tears. It wasn't in any way how I wanted to see her, I _never_ wanted to see her that frightened. She never told me what exactly happened in her dreams, but I could guess they were centered around what had happened to Inna, and what she feared Nathan would do to her.

That fear presented itself in the minor things she did to get ready.

She picked out a dress that was all black and had a higher neckline, shoes that didn't have as much of a heel as her regular ones, and instead of leaving her hair out like normal, she put it up into a tight twist.

They were things she shouldn't have had to do – but they lessened the attention directed towards her. Normally she didn't want to blend in with those around her, but tonight she wanted to be concealed slightly by the shadows. She wanted to enjoy the company of her friends without the risk of her presence being paraded.

She was giddy the entire trip over the club. It was a wonder that she was even able to stay in the seat of the cab. She didn't even wait for the car to come to a complete stop before she was reaching for the handle.

But all that nervousness paid off. Having to chase her from the car so that she wasn't alone, and the cabbie cursing at me for throwing money at him was worth watching her finally see her friends. To think that she had been happy when I told her that we were _both_ going to the club – this was something else.

As a general rule, I preferred to keep my emotions off my face. If someone could gauge what I was thinking and feeling based on the reactions of my face, that meant they had a power over me.

But I struggled to keep those emotions dormant and concealed whenever I was around Roza.

To see the smile on her face as Lissa barreled herself into her arms, made a smile crack onto my own face.

It made me feel that despite our fears that the night could go very wrong, it felt as if we would _actually_ have a Nathan free night. Nothing that could feel this reassuring could possibly lead to something bad.

It just couldn't.

"Do you want a drink?"

Adrian's question snapped my attention away from the young women who were all talking a million miles an hour.

I straightened up from leaning against the bar and turned to face him fully. Giving him a smile and a small nod, I could tell how happy he also was to have Roza back. It appeared that it wasn't just myself who was able to relax with just her mere presence.

"Yeah, why not."

Taking the glass of vodka he placed in front of me, I turned my head so I could continue keeping an eye on Roza. Anton was staying close to her as I had asked - not enough to smother her but enough that she knew if anything went wrong, he would be there instantly and I wouldn't be far behind.

I was beyond grateful that my closest brothers had taken such a liking to Roza. While Anton didn't refer to her as his sister like Ivan so regularly did, I knew that he still considered her and my child his family.

"Have you talked to Abe yet?" Adrian asked nervously, bringing my attention once again back to him.

I scowled slightly down at the drink in my hands. Last week I had approached Adrian, asking him as someone who had worked closely with Roza's father for several years, what he would think about Roza and I moving to Russia.

The answer hadn't been what I was hoping for.

It was blatantly obvious how protective Abe was of his daughter – he had a major role in most of her life decisions. While I respected that he cared for his daughter's wellbeing, there had to be a point where she was able to make her own choices without his approval.

"Roza and I haven't even worked out all the details yet. We don't want to approach him without a well thought out plan. He will rip it to shreds if we do."

"Well, you better make the plan foolproof and soon. I doubt he will be willing to let her go if you spring it on him once your girl is born."

I ignored his comment about the gender of our baby as I had been for the past three weeks. There was _no_ way for us to know the gender until the day he or she was born. I wasn't going to start listening to ramblings of someone who may or may not be associated with Gypsies.

While my own grandmother had had divinatory dreams during my childhood, I had never thought much into them – even though most of them came true.

"Comrade! Are you coming?" Roza called out, cutting off any response I would have given Adrian.

I gulped down the remainder of my drink and followed Roza as her and Lissa began walking backstage. I kept a few paces back, walking with Anton as we left the girls to their gossiping. It seemed Roza had missed a lot in the time she had been away.

Walking into the dressing room felt like it did every other day. The girls were all busy getting ready but there was something different about the atmosphere tonight. When I finally figured it out, I couldn't help but scrunch my features up in confusion and mild unease.

Anton and I noticed him before Roza did.

She was still wrapped up in her conversation with Lissa – too distracted to notice the stranger sitting in her dressing chair.

He sat with an almost smugness, his right ankle resting on his left knee as he leaned back into the chair.

Even in the dim light, I could make out the expensive and clean-cut suit he wore. His face was stern, but upon noticing our entrance, the blank look in his face transfigured into a wide smile.

With his smile, came the lightening of his eyes and his posture changed entirely. He leaned forward in the seat, bringing both of his feet to the ground as he watched us.

But it wasn't me or Anton he was watching, it was the girls.

Something about the contours of his cheekbones and chin struck familiarity in me. I had seen those same features somewhere before. I had seen that same dark hair and dark eyes before. I had seen the same impeccable care of facial hair and appearance before. Which begged the question, who was he?

The stranger called out to us suddenly, making me tense up. I wasn't sure if he spoke in English or not, but if he did I had never heard _that_ word before.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Roza jerk her head towards the stranger before she took a shocked step back.

The small step back brought out a possessive strand in me. My arms immediately went to her shoulders, letting her know that I was here, and no matter whom this man was, he wasn't getting close to her.

The stranger stood from the chair, his grin morphing into a sly smile before he spoke in a foreign language. The words falling from his lips almost sensually – which I didn't like _at all_!

With a giggle, Roza broke free of my protective grip and ran towards him – practically jumping into his waiting arms.

I was left dumbfounded as I watched him twirl Roza around on the spot. Watching them, only one thought rushed through my mind.

Who the _fuck_ was this guy?

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _A bit of an uneventful chapter, but I feel everyone deserved some fluff after the rollercoaster this story has been so far. All of your reviews are much loved and appreciated, so thank you so so much for all your kind words!_

 _To all those who went on over to **Bad Intentions** , I hope you will enjoy what I have planned for it! Until this story is complete though, the updating schedule will be a tad all over the place - but I would love to know your thoughts on it. _

_As for our unknown stranger, if you can guess who he is I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter!_

 _-RCap_


	19. An Entanglement

**_Note:_** _Conversations in italics are spoken in Turkish._

 _Please also remember that in the 1920's, women still drank and smoked while pregnant. They didn't know it would pose any threat to their children._

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

 ** _Chicago. March 1925._** _(Eleven Weeks Pregnant)_

" _My Rose!"_

I couldn't formulate a single thought, at least not one in any language that I knew. I was left stunned and blinking blankly while staring at him. Seconds passed, and yet I was still struggling to comprehend that he was standing there, right there in front of me.

Dimitri's hands provided a sense of security that wasn't needed but which I accepted anyway.

" _What? Am I not getting a hug?_ " he proclaimed in Turkish and I couldn't help the giggle that escaped from me.

Closing the meters between us, I practically jumped into Kadir's arms as he spun me around on the spot. One of his hands clasped behind my back, while the other cupped the back of my bare neck and drew me in as close as possible to him. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, hoping that this wasn't all a dream.

There was something so comforting about being in his arms again. It had been so long since I had felt his strong arms around me, that I couldn't even fathom that happiness that welled up inside me.

Pulling out slightly, I ran my hand down his bearded cheek and let him finally place me back onto the ground.

" _What are you doing here_?" I asked breathlessly, completely caught up in the dark depths of his brown eyes.

I could see how he had aged in our time apart. Approaching his thirties, he still looked young while also possessing his boyish charm. But his eyes seemed darker - the obvious effects of obtaining a fair amount of power in mine and his father's business.

His previous athletic build was now much more vigorous. He resembled more closely to the burly physique of his own father, rather than the slim one of mine.

" _You stopped writing. I was worried."_

I scoffed at the words that snapped me out of my physical assessment. " _There_ is no _way you lived on a boat for a month just because I hadn't written to you in a while!"_

Kadir didn't answer me, which only confirmed I was right. While it was true that I _hadn't_ written to him since meeting Dimitri, it wasn't because I had tossed him aside, I had just been ridiculously busy. The past three months had been the best and worst few months of my life. I had fallen in love and was starting a family with the man I loved, but I had also come very close to _losing_ everything I had acquired multiple times - I still _was_ in danger even now.

Kadir could have been here for several reasons, but I had a feeling I knew _exactly_ which one it was.

He was in America for me.

His gaze left mine and flicked down to my stomach. I could see the spark of sadness flash momentarily in his eyes and I had to swallow heavily to stop myself feeling guilty. I had nothing to feel guilty for honestly. We weren't promised to each other. We had parted not as lovers, but only as friends that had never got the chance to be together.

" _I heard the girls here talking,_ " Kadir mumbled while hovering a shaky hand over my flat stomach. I could feel his hand vibrate nervously through the fabric of my dress and it only added to my building feeling of guilt.

He shouldn't have had to hear that I was pregnant from gossiping dancers. I should have told him myself. I _should_ have written to him. I normally wrote to him once a month. I would normally write about all the adventures I had divulged in him, therefore I should have written about Dimitri the first month of meeting him. But I had held out in case whatever Dimitri and I had been in the beginning, hadn't meant to be.

 _"Is it true? Are you really carrying a child?_ "

I couldn't believe how hard it was for me to tell him yes. He wasn't even looking me in the eyes and I was having trouble. There was once a time that _we_ planned to have a family together if we never found spouses who we loved without hindrance. There had also been a few moments that I hoped he had never found that perfect woman - a time that I had hoped we would end up together.

But everything was different now.

I nodded and placed my hand over Kadir's, guiding his hovering hand to actually make contact with my stomach. I hoped that he saw the action as more comforting, rather than me being forceful.

I should have known it would be hard for him to see me carrying someone else's child, no matter how long we had been apart.

Kadir stared at my stomach for a few more seconds quietly before removing his hand. The warmth from his hand had seeped through my dress, making it seem as if he were placing it on bare skin. But when his hand left my stomach, so did the warmth.

His touch no longer appeared to hold the same effect on me as it used to.

I had felt his warmth on my cheek for years after that night on the docks. But now, the warmth had dissipated within seconds.

He looked back up to meet my eyes. The sorrow and anguish were gone, hidden deep down in the depths that I knew lingered behind his eyes, and he plastered a smile on his face.

"You will be a fantastic mother," Kadir said in English this time as he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "I always knew you would be."

I sunk into the kiss, closing my eyes and breathing in deeply. I tried to ignore the pain in his voice as he spoke. This would be the last time that he would provide _that_ type of comfort, and while that saddened me, I knew I was in goods hands with Dimitri.

I gently pulled myself free of Kadir's grasp, remembering that Dimitri had been bearing witness to our entire exchange. I hadn't thought of him since meeting Kadir's eyes. I couldn't imagine what would be going through his head as he looked on at us. Confusion flashed in Kadir's eyes before understanding swept through.

I may not be his anymore but Kadir would be damned if he didn't give Dimitri a once over, just like any other best friend would.

Looking over, Dimitri was standing rigidly off to the side. His hands were clenched by his sides and his fiery gaze was trained onto Kadir. Once he noticed that I was no longer in Kadir's embrace, he relaxed. His hands unclenched and his shoulders dropped.

I felt horrible for Dimitri having to witness my reunion with Kadir. It wasn't fair that he had to stand there while I embraced someone who he had no knowledge of. I had let my happiness of seeing Kadir overthrow my awareness of Dimitri's feelings. I gave Dimitri and soft smile, hoping to ease any infuriation that I knew would be bubbling inside of him.

Following my gaze, Kadir also looked towards Dimitri.

"This must be the man who has stolen your heart from me," he exclaimed suddenly, walking away from me and towards where Dimitri was standing.

I flinched as the words left Kadir's mouth, knowing full well that Dimitri had heard them and that they would piss him off. I pushed my legs to work, forcing them to take me to where Dimitri and Kadir now stood tensely in front of each other.

Watching Kadir approach Dimitri was borderline comical. His six-two height was nothing compared to Dimitri's towering six-seven. But Kadir wasn't one to show when he was intimidated. He would play the part of the collected businessman who wasn't afraid of anyone - even though I knew full well that it was just an act.

Dimitri made Kadir nervous. It was plain and clear to anyone that _really_ knew Kadir.

"I'm Kadir. Pavel's son and our dear Rose's closest confidante," Kadir proclaimed while holding his hand out for Dimitri to shake.

I looked between the two loves of my life anxiously. I knew exactly what Kadir was up to, but I was unsure of how far he would actually take it.

Dimitri looked at me briefly before responding to Kadir. Gazing at him, I hoped that he would make this as painless as possible. I didn't want either of them to get wrapped up in a rivalry with each other. But they were both proud men with a separate claim to me.

I knew that they would both exert as much of their 'claims' as possible.

"Dimitri Belikov," he responded, clasping his hand around Kadir's tightly. While he hadn't said something regarding our relationship like Kadir had, I winced at the tight grip he had of Kadir's hand.

With a quick turn, Kadir flipped their hands so that he could see the back of Dimitri's hand without obstruction.

"I knew there was something your father wasn't telling me. He's Bratva," Kadir murmured, gazing down at the tattoos that adorned the knuckles of Dimitri's right hand.

Anxiety began to simmer through my veins. How stupid did I have to be to not anticipate this?

"But you always said-"

"I know what I said," I quickly interjected, cutting Kadir short before he divulged too much information.

Kadir took a step back from Dimitri, looking as if I had slapped him in the face. He pried his hand free and stuffed it in his pocket.

I cringed internally but took a step closer towards Dimitri. I wrapped an arm around his waist from the side as I attempted to solidify our relationship. I didn't _require_ Kadir's approval, but I did want some sort of cordiality between the two of them.

Back home, things could be considered... _tense_ with Russia. Baba's business had provided weapons that had in fact been used against Russia's militaries. If Kadir saw me being pregnant as a betrayal to him, finding out that the man who I had fallen for was part of the Bratva would have been devastating.

I _personally_ didn't possess the same animosity against Russia or its Mafias as Kadir did though. Even my father, who at first had had an extreme distaste for the Bratva, had eventually found good business relationships and even acquaintanceships with the Russian men stationed in Chicago.

That, however, didn't mean in any way we openly discussed our dealings back in Istanbul with Dimitri or his predecessors.

When we lived in Istanbul, my father and Pavel were heavily involved in the weapons trade. They sold and dealt with all kinds of powerful weaponry. They did business with not only the Turkish military but also the Mafias. When we left, Kadir had taken over their roles as the forefront of the business they had built.

The money we had made from the Turkish War of Independence had been astronomical. It had also secured Kadir's position as one of the most powerful arms dealers in the country.

But I could only hope that Kadir would stay silent about what my family had been involved in during our time in Istanbul.

 _It's going to be a long night_ , I thought to myself with a sigh.

* * *

The rest of the night had gone as uncomfortably as I could have imagined.

After the introductions had passed, it was almost vital to get Kadir far away from Dimitri.

It had appeared as if Kadir was mostly approving of Dimitri until finding out about him being from the Bratva. That seemed to piss him off to no end.

I had always said that I didn't want to settle with a man who was heavily involved in organized crime. I even told Kadir that _he_ would have been the only exception due to it being my father's business - and yet here I was, introducing him to my Mafia boyfriend.

However, Dimitri tended to avoid me the rest of the night. He stayed in the theatre and used the excuse that "he was watching over the patrons".

I stayed backstage, floating between the different groups of girls and Kadir. I tried to keep him occupied and away from the theatre. I didn't think I could handle him venturing out there and confronting Dimitri again.

"Do you wanna' drink, Baby Vamp?" Adrian's voice floated from behind me as well as the tinkling of glasses. He was doing to rounds of pick-ups.

"Please," I sighed heavily as I turned to smile at him. "But none of that fucking coffin varnish. Get me the good shit."

"Anything for you," he laughed while placing a kiss on my cheek.

I could feel Kadir's gaze on me from across the room. He watched me interact with not only Adrian but also the other men that drifted through the dressing room. It seemed that even though he was surrounded by women who were wearing next to nothing, he was still more interested in whom _I_ spoke to, and how _I_ acted around them. I knew that even in Istanbul, I had had a flirtatious nature about me, but nothing like what I was like here in America.

He was seeing me in public, the way I was behind closed doors. I didn't need to conform to the laws placed against my gender here – I could be myself in America.

Even though Kadir had found Mikhail and Grant good company, I could only assume he was ensuring they fill in any gaps for him that I had _purposely_ left out.

I ghosted through the crowd of the dressing room, avoiding the scantily clad girls that ran around getting prepared for their next dances. Plopping myself down at my dresser heavily, I gazed at the chaos surrounding me.

Maybe if I had known that the last time I had danced on that stage _was_ truly my last time, I would have put my all into it. After my baby was born, Dimitri and I would be moving to Russia – where I doubted I could continue working as a burlesque dancer – and we would have a child to care for. I needed to put the life of my child before me, and I was perfectly willing to give anything that my baby needed.

The scraping of a chair against the floorboard pulled me out of my thoughts, and back into the anarchy around me. I was suddenly looking into the green eyes of my best friend as she pushed her dressing chair closer to me.

Lissa flashed me a devilish smile before making herself comfortable. I didn't need her to say a single word to know what she was thinking. The smirk on her lips and their mischievous glint in her eyes spoke the words for her.

I was saved momentarily as Adrian approached, my drink in his hand. I practically snatched it from him and downed a large gulp of the drink without looking at it. The spicy bite made my throat close up and my face contorted with disgust.

It was bourbon.

I _hated_ bourbon.

"Eugh," I groaned. "When I said the good shit, I meant vodka, Adrian!" I yelled at him as he walked away.

"Talk to your baby daddy then! Damn Russian had hijacked the entire bottle!" Adrian yelled over his shoulder before he disappeared back into the theatre.

"Fuck," I murmured, taking another medicinal gulp and scrunching my face up at the taste.

"So?" Lissa crossed her arms over her chest playfully and pursed her lips. "Who's Kadir? _Really?_ "

I looked down at the brown contents of my glass. The iciness in the way she had said 'really' hadn't escaped me. I probably shouldn't have introduced him as just a friend from home – especially after the welcoming I had given him.

"He's one _hell_ of a blast from the past," I muttered.

"Old boyfriend or something?"

"I wouldn't go _that_ far. But close...I guess."

Lissa only stared at me with a single eyebrow raised. Clearly, my blunt responses weren't convincing her one bit.

I sighed while watching her green eyes stare at me. She wasn't going to give in. "Fine. But I'm gonna need a dart to talk about this shit."

With an excited clap, Lissa leaned over into her drawer and pulled out a fresh deck. She tore into the cardboard and took one out before throwing me the small box. I lit one of the tailored cigarettes before delving into the melodramatic fantasy that was Kadir – sparing _no_ detail just as I knew Lissa wanted.

* * *

" _Kiz_ , can I see you for a sec?"

Both Lissa and I jerked to face my father behind us. He stood in the entry of his office, not looking particularly happy, but also not upset – so I took that as a good sign!

I had almost made it through the entire story of Kadir and me, finding out in the process that our history took fucking hours to explain.

While we had talked, dancers had begun floating out and heading home for the night while others retreated into the theatre for post-work drinks. However, I was petrified to even step foot in the same room as Dimitri.

I nodded quickly and got up from my chair. Anything my father could have to say would have been better than going into that theatre. I was willing to avoid that as much as possible.

"There are rumors that they are bad for babies," my father scolded, pointing at the cigarette in my hand.

Of course, I came in here to get lectured. I hadn't even sat down yet and he was already on my case. I shouldn't have expected anything less.

Despite the dig, I looked at the cigarette between my fingers and smelled the tobacco burning as I considered my father's words.

I wasn't willing to risk my baby's health, even if it was only a rumor.

I leaned over to butt out the cigarette in my father's ashtray, but he promptly picked it right out of my fingers.

"So I can't smoke, but you can?" I scoffed.

"I'm not the one who's pregnant," my father grinned, taking a deep drag of _my_ cigarette.

"Go figure," I mumbled while glaring slightly at him. "What do you want Old Man? Apart from becoming my Doctor?"

"I just wanted to see where my daughter was at with her preparations," my father leaned back in his chair, grinning at me.

"Preparations?" I asked.

"Well yes. For my granddaughter."

"Oh, fuck," I groaned loudly while rolling my eyes. "Don't tell me Adrian has gotten to you as well. You know he doesn't _actually_ know the gender of the baby?"

My father merely shrugged. "I believe there are people out there that are more _intuitive_ than others."

"Adrian's a bartender, not a fortune teller, Old Man."

Unfazed by my annoyance, my father only waited for me to get back on track. Sighing, I answered his _actual_ query instead of the one that had annoyed me.

"Well, we do have some plans that we want to set into motion. But I don't really want to discuss them without Dimitri here – seeing as this is no longer just about me."

"Understandable," my father smiled warmly which I found odd.

I had begun preparing myself for an absolute shakedown of information – a speech per say on why _he_ should be involved in Dimitri and my decision-making, and yet he hadn't even pushed the subject.

I narrowed my eyes at my father, wary of why he would possibly be thinking up. There had to be something. There was _always_ something with my father – he always had some kind of plan.

Almost as if he were reading my thoughts, he attempted to ease my doubt. "I assure you, _kiz_. I'm going to stay out of this a much as possible. You aren't a little girl anymore; you're a woman who is going to be a mother in a few short months. You don't need me breathing down your neck when you have a future to plan."

"Baba," I sighed with a smile. He was finally leaving my life in my own hands and giving me free reign over my own choices. We both stood from our chairs at the same time and he opened his arms for me, welcoming me into a hug that we both needed.

However, as quickly as the hug had begun, Adrian was bursting through the closed office loudly and with a worried expression slapped onto his face.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem."

My father and I exchanged confused looks before tentatively following Adrian out of the office and into the emptying theatre.

* * *

I could hear the bold bickering before I saw anything.

When I made it past the doors, I was greeted with my worst nightmare.

Who had I been kidding? I wasn't able to stop Kadir – the most prideful person I knew – from approaching Dimitri again and giving him a hard time. While Dimitri had held back his anger the first time, I knew it was because he had been sober.

The empty bottle of vodka on the bar and Dimitri's slightly disheveled look told me that was no longer the case.

My eyes passed over Dimitri. His hair was loose around his face rather than tied neatly back like it had been earlier, and he showed the obvious signs of being lit up like the Commonwealth He was drunk. Simple as that. But he was hiding it somewhat well.

Kadir was trying to get into his face, speaking low enough that I couldn't make out exactly what he was saying from across the room, but whatever he said Dimitri didn't like.

When I saw Dimitri's hand curl at his side and his elbow lock, I knew this needed to end now.

"What the fuck is going on!" I cursed, closing the distance of the theatre and standing slightly off to the side. But my words went unheard by both Dimitri and Kadir – they were too caught up in one another.

"You may be the one that got her knocked up, but she will _never_ forget the man that taught her everything she knows!"

"I'd be very careful, Kadir" I yelled out and took a step closer, but once again, I went unheard as he cut me off. Neither of them was listening to me. I wouldn't have been surprised if they were yet to realize I was right beside them.

"She _always_ refused the hands of those back home! Then suddenly she comes to America and is jumping on _communist cock_!? You _did_ something to her!"

I was left shocked and shaken by Kadir's words.

The crassness of them had knocked all the breath out of me. Kadir and I had fought in the past; it was only normal for us to not agree on everything. But he had _never_ used me as a way to get to someone else.

I scoffed with disbelief, making Kadir turn towards me. Whatever pained expression I had on my face triggered something in him, making him realize how hurtful his words had really been. I saw the moment his head caught up with his mouth - the moment he realized the cruelty of his words.

His lips parted in a wordless breath. He looked ready to apologize but he couldn't find the words - not that he was given a chance to _actually_ apologize.

In a move I never saw coming but definitely should have, Dimitri lunged for Kadir with lightning speed and shoved him with all his power, making him stumble back several steps and almost forcing him to the ground.

It was the moment all hell broke loose. I could only thank the heavens that the club and there were no patrons around to witness the immature show of testosterone.

Russian curses were spat from Dimitri's mouth as Ivan jumped to restrain him.

Everyone around us jumped into action and swarmed around Kadir and Dimitri. I jumped as well, throwing myself in front of Dimitri and placing my hands on his chest soothingly. I recited his name over and over again, hoping to break him out of his rage.

But he refused to look down at me, he only stared daggers over my head at Kadir.

I couldn't explain how angry Kadir had made me, but seeing Dimitri retaliate like that had pushed me to my limit.

I spun on my heel to face where Kadir was standing. He looked fully prepared for any move Dimitri made against him, but I wasn't sure if he understood it wouldn't be _just_ Dimitri.

 _You threaten one, you threaten all._ It wouldn't just be Dimitri that would attack Kadir. His brothers would defend his honor and jump in without a second thought...

While my father and Pavel stood off to the side slightly - looking completely unwilling to get caught up in a childish fight over a woman - Dimitri's men were poised ready to jump in, just as I had thought. If anything, his men looked ready to do some serious damage.

I knew full well that no good would come of an all-out brawl. I _had_ to intervene before this got out of control.

"How long do you intend to stay, _Kadir_?" I spat, keeping myself pressed against Dimitri so he knew I was on his side.

Brushing his hands over the breast of his suit, Kadir smiled at me. "Well, I was planning on this only being a short trip - one that would result in bringing you home." A low growl emanated from behind me. "But now, I think I might stick around for six or so months. Business is slow and I think I deserve a holiday."

Wrapping my arm around Dimitri's elbow, I began tugging him away from the hostile argument. Being around Kadir was only going to fire both of us up, and I needed to ensure that the _both_ of us stayed calm.

"Come on. We're going home," I hissed before dragging Dimitri out of the club.

* * *

"I can't fucking believe him! He comes into my club thinking he has some sort of claim over me?" I yelled, slamming the door to Dimitri's apartment behind me.

The entire cab ride home, _I_ had been the one that was fired up. I ranted and raved about how disgusted I was with Kadir's words and behavior while Dimitri stayed silent.

He had only stared out of the window of the speeding cab and I wasn't even sure if he was listening to me. My words quite possibly went in one ear and out the other.

But while he stared blankly out of the window, the hand that he still had firmly clasped around my own, never let go. His thumb brushed over my knuckles in controlled sweeps, almost as if he were trying to calm me down - but it clearly wasn't helping.

Dimitri grabbed my hands softly pulling me into the private confines of his bedroom. The entire ordeal and the drive home seemed to sober him up slightly, but I could still see him struggling.

I sat down on the bed and pulled my hair out of my tight twist. As I combed my fingers through the knots roughly, I couldn't stop thinking about Kadir's words. Was he really _that_ hurt that I had moved on? At the docks, he hadn't asked me to wait for him; he even went as far as to say that I may meet someone.

It all seemed very estranged to me. His words had been used to piss Dimitri off, but I didn't think he counted on me being just as offended by them.

"Have you ever… _been_ with him?" Dimitri asked quietly, sounding as if he was showing his more vulnerable side.

I looked up to meet his eyes, but he was staring down at his feet. I frowned. "Kadir? No."

"But he said he… _taught_ …you,"

"Yeah, I don't really know why he said that," I sighed, letting my hands fall into my lap and abandoning the knots in my hair. "I think he was just taking it out of context. We've only ever kissed, and that was just once."

I wasn't sure if Dimitri thought I was lying or not about any sexual relations I may have had with Kadir, but I honestly didn't care. I could deal with that later, right now I needed to make sure Dimitri knew who came first to me.

"Listen to me, Dimitri. You don't have anything to worry about with Kadir. He's nothing more than a friend-"

"Do you love him?" Dimitri asked me abruptly, cutting my ramblings short.

I gaped slightly as my words became stuck in my throat. I knew that I had remaining feelings for Kadir, but that could have purely been because of the amount of time we had spent apart. We had grown up together and experienced life together. Falling for Kadir had been slow and gradual, eventually catching up to me when it was too late for us.

When I had first heard his voice echo through the dressing room, my heart had skipped a beat. I had thought I was hearing voices. But when I looked across and saw him standing in front of me, there was no flutter in my stomach like there had been at the docks in Istanbul.

While he may no longer be the man that made me blush with a single glance or the man who knew all my secrets – that didn't mean that I didn't love him. It was just a different love to what I now held for Dimitri.

But I couldn't sit there on the bed and lie to Dimitri. I couldn't tell him that Kadir meant nothing to me.

So I told Dimitri the truth.

"I do love him. I won't lie and say I don't. If I were still living in Istanbul, it's very possible that this child might have been his."

Dimitri flinched at my words, averting his eyes so that he instead looked out the open window rather than down at me. I felt horrible for having to tell him that, but there was no lie in those words.

If I had still been living in Istanbul, I would have already been married and had a small family at my age. We were expected to settle down earlier than here in America. Both of our parents already approved of a potential relationship between us and we had chemistry, it would have been inevitable.

But that wasn't the case anymore.

I slowly stood from the bed and approached him. I was careful not to be too rushed or on the offensive, but I had to use my fingers to turn his chin, just so he would look me in the eyes.

"But I'm not in Istanbul, Dimitri. I'm here, with you. I'm so fucking in love with you that I can't image anyone else standing where you are now. I may love Kadir, but I'm _in love_ with you."

The betrayal in his eyes softened significantly. His posture relaxed a little as well but he still didn't say anything. I took that as my cue to continue.

"I will pick you every time. You are the one I want to be with – the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Without uttering a single word, Dimitri's arms enveloped around me in a tight embrace. Simultaneously, I hooked my arms around his neck and leaned up onto the tips of my toes, pulling him closer to me and allowing his to nestle his head into my neck.

With my lips resting near his ear, I mumbled another reassurance. "It will _always_ be you."

With another tight tug, Dimitri lifted me high enough that my feet no longer touched the floor and walked us towards the bed. As he laid me softly on the mattress below, he leaned out of my neck to brush his lips over my own.

Tasting the vodka on his lips and tongue sent a strange chill down my spine. I normally loved tasting the alcohol and tobacco on his lips, but tonight I knew he hadn't been drinking to merely socialize. He had been drinking because of Kadir, and who could blame him? Kadir had been crass and upfront with him; not bothering to respect that Dimitri and I were in a relationship or that we were expecting a child together.

With a tenderness and patience that was foreign to the both of us, Dimitri trailed a hand over the curve of my waist and up my ribcage. He took the small-concealed zipper between his fingers, pulling it down until it was loose enough to peel off my body.

His hands were careful as they glided over my skin – leaving me shivering against his touch. Each caress felt like fire against my skin. His lips applied barely any pressure as they molded with my own, eventually venturing lower to the pulse point on my neck.

We had both never been so gentle with one another. While our sex wasn't without passion and intimacy, we both a drive for something more animalistic and primal.

But after the night's curveball had been thrown, we didn't need to touch one another to sate whatever it was that burned within us, we just needed it for _us._

Our hands moved as if it were the first time they were coming into contact. I slowly undid the buttons that lined the center of his dress shirt, before sliding my hands into the exposed gap and scratching my nails lightly over his chest.

Dimitri ceased the attention he was paying to my neck much to my dismay, but as he leaned out he brought me up with him. He sat back on his knees with my legs wrapped around his waist and allowed me to rid him of his shirt completely.

I hovered slightly higher than him, and as I looked down into his eyes all I could see was the apprehension that I had placed there. I had known full well that my admission about Kadir would have upset him, but I was perfectly willing to ensure that Dimitri knew just how serious I was about my vow of devotion to him.

I placed another soft kiss upon his lips, staring into the molten pools of brown that stared back at me before I spoke once more. "Always you," I whispered.

Dimitri returned to embracing me, his large hands circling me and pulling me impossibly close to him. The heat from his chest transferred to my own and as his palms wandered over the length of my back, electric pulses followed them.

I wasn't concerned that Dimitri hadn't spoken since he asked me whether I loved Kadir or not, but I needed him to know how serious I was.

An overwhelming sense of déjà vu overcame me. I had been in this exact position before almost three months ago. Although I had been sitting on my dressing table, and instead of myself uttering these words, it had been Dimitri.

He looked up at me with the same eyes that he had that night – they eyes that begged me to never leave their sight.

"Marry me," I mumbled against his lips almost incoherently.

Unlike _I_ had though; Dimitri didn't tense up his entire body in shock. He didn't jump back from me like I had burned him nor did he laugh at me. He only stared back at me unblinkingly and with the same soul-consuming look in his eyes.

"Roza, you don't need to do anything to validate-"

"I'm not!" I cut off. "I'm not asking this for validation. I'm asking because it's what I want. I want you. Always and forever, and I want our baby to know that as well."

Dimitri searched my eyes as I spoke, almost as if he was trying to find a hole in my speech. I could tell he wanted to make sure that I wasn't asking him of this to make myself feel better, or him for the matter. He didn't want me to think I was forced into it.

But I didn't think any of those things for a single second. I was hopelessly in love with Dimitri, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. When he had asked me to marry him months ago, I had thought it was a joke at the start. Of course, as time went on I saw what was really going through his mind.

I was willingly giving up everything for us to be together and raise our child. I had been a dancer all my life, but with Dimitri, I didn't need dance to fill that hole inside me.

"I don't have a ring to give you," he mumbled, still obviously caught up searching my eyes for hesitancy that he wasn't ever going to find.

Smiling, I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, making my entire body jump in his arms. "I don't need one." Dimitri arched an eyebrow. "Yet…" I continued with a giggle.

Finally, a small smile broke out over Dimitri's lips. "I thought I was meant to propose to you?"

"You already did, remember? But I shot you down. So it's only fair that I ask you this time."

With a husky chuckle, Dimitri rested me back against the mattress but remained sitting on his heels. His playful gaze transformed into something smokier, his hungry gaze making a faint red blush appear across my cheeks and chest. Hooking his thumbs under my panties, he pulled them down my legs slowly and discarded them.

After removing his slacks, he moved to hover over me once again. Not needing instruction or persuasion, my legs eased apart for him and eagerly welcomed the heat of his body against my own.

Hidden by the curtain of his dark hair, I skimmed my fingers up his biceps until they were able to get tangled in the locks, leaving ripples of puckered skin in their wake.

"So what do you say, comrade?" I whispered provocatively. "Do you want to show everyone who I belong to?"

Not breaking his soul-consuming gaze, one of the pads of Dimitri's thumbs grazed over my lower lip. I didn't need the light to help me read Dimitri. I could do that just fine by studying the way he touched me. I could tell what he was thinking by how he worshipped me.

"I would gladly spend the rest of my days showing _everyone_ who you belong to - but also who _I_ belong to."

His lips returned to mine with a similar tenderness as before, only there was more heat. He was more urgent, grazing his tongue over my lower lip and coaxing my mouth to open for him.

I tilted my head, allowing the kiss to deepen as his hands began to wander my body - even though it appeared he was staying in my more innocent zones. Every time he became more daring, my heart sped up and my body shuddered with anticipation.

Our bodies moved instinctively, each accommodating to the other with perfect synchronicity. It was part of why I knew Dimitri and I possessed something that was so true and so beautiful. We had found each other despite beginning our lives in different countries and very different circumstances. We had fallen in love and were together despite the odds against us.

When he had first rescued me, I had battled with myself over if I should be mad about the night he broke up with me. Part of me wanted to make him suffer for hurting me like that, while the other just wanted him near. After thinking that I would possibly never see him again, my body and soul had craved for him - making any sort of fury against him downright impossible.

I had chosen to follow my heart, pushing the night out of my head and focusing on us now.

The quiet room was speckled with gasps and groans. Dimitri's fingers were still only teasing me, obviously waiting for me to beg him for it. I decided to indulge him.

" _Dimitri_ , please." I moaned quietly and desperately into his ear.

I could feel his hardness pressed up against my thigh. All I wanted was for him to _end_ the incessant teasing. I wiggled my hips a little while simultaneously arching my body to get closer to him.

Answering my prayers, the hand that had been sending trails of fire along the insides of my thighs moved to grip himself and I soon felt his body begin to invade my own.

He groaned as he slid into me effortlessly. "You have no idea what that does to me...hearing you moan my name like that."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _While there wasn't an overly large amount of jealous Dimitri in this chapter, the next will be from his POV so we will be delving more into what he REALLY thinks of Kadir!_

 _(I gotta stop letting these word counts get away from me)_


	20. An Unveiling

_**AN:**_ _Chapter wasn't edited with a fine tooth comb. All mistakes are my own and I apologize in advance!_

 _The chapter wasn't originally this long, but I haven't updated in a couple weeks so it's pratically two chapters in one, enjoy!_

* * *

 ** _Dimitri._**

 ** _Chicago. March 14, 1925._**

I had always been a man who was protective of his own.

From the time I was a young boy, I had been protective of my mother and all my sisters. I had shown just how protective I was the night I killed my father - and I had lived with the consequences of that protectiveness every day since.

The consequence of my blind rage had been having my adolescence taken away from me and my innocence stripped. I was at the beginning of my teenage years and I was thrown into an adult prison. I was angry and ready to jump down the throats of anyone who pissed me off.

It wasn't until I picked a fight with someone who I really shouldn't have, that I met Vadim - my future boss. Vadim recruited me and got my head screwed on correctly. Over time, he had taught me how to control my emotions more and reign back the anger that would bubble inside me. I learned to deposit that anger in a way that would be actually beneficial to those around me and myself.

When I was released at twenty-four, Vadim had a spot waiting for me within his cell. I took it without having to think about it. He had been the closest thing I had had to a consistent father figure. He had taken a thirteen-year-old boy under his wing and taught him how to be a man. I owed a lot to him.

But I had come very close to throwing all those years of control out the nearest window the moment I saw Kadir's hands all over _my_ Roza. Kadir was a stranger to me, and hearing him say that I had stolen Roza's heart from him and seeing his lips touch her – even if it was only her forehead – had chilled me to the bone.

But it hadn't been a cold chill. It had been the kind that made my heart speed up and my mind swirl. It had made my blood boil while a red mist fell over me, clouding any coherent thoughts I could possibly muster and reverting me into a caveman whose only thoughts were: " _Girl. Mine_."

There was something about Kadir that unnerved me. He had an overall cocky nature to him from the moment I had seen him sitting at Roza's vanity. He was smug. There wasn't another way to describe him fully.

But it seemed all the men in Roza's life had a smugness to them. Her father and Pavel always seemed to smile like they knew something you didn't - even Roza expressed that smile from time to time. Kadir was no exception, it looked as if it were a smile they all had just... _did_.

If I had been possessive over Roza just by seeing the smug smile on his face as he watched her from afar, any control I had was suddenly blown out of the water when I found out he was Pavel's son.

Pavel had never spoken of having a family. He had never brought up a wife or ex-wife and never had I heard him talk about kids – he just treated _Roza_ like he would his own flesh and blood.

Reluctantly, I avoided Roza as much as she had avoided me during business hours. We both didn't want to address the Turkish elephant in the room.

I turned to my most favourable vice – _vodka_ – and used it to drown out the voice in the back of my mind that told me I was about to lose Roza. The more it laughed and taunted me, the faster I drank.

The voice instilled in me that he was back there taking her away from me. It made me think that he would have his hands all over her and making her forget all about me and the baby.

I became that snappy drunk at a bar who barked at anyone who got close to him. I unwillingly imagined what they would have shared together before I had found Roza. He had many years with her that I didn't, and those years could have held all kinds of sexual affairs.

I didn't want to think of that though. I didn't want to think of the men Roza had been with before me. I knew there had been at least a few and I wasn't a saint myself. But Adrian had told me that she had never been in love before. Knowing that she hadn't loved the men she shared her body with was comforting - until Kadir rocked up.

Adrian assured me that Roza was backstage with Lissa talking and Kadir was getting to know the bruisers. But Adrian was in the theatre with me, and she was behind closed doors. He couldn't see through curtains.

The taunting voice returned with all kinds of harrowing thoughts and images that was tearing me apart. And for a split second, it had me. It had me convinced that this would be the last time I was with Roza. The alcohol content I was juggling at the time probably wasn't helping my coherent thinking but.

When the theatre had begun emptying and the dancers retired for the night, _he_ also emerged from backstage and had made a beeline straight for me.

Kadir reminded me that he had something of Roza that I didn't. He only reverberated what I had already come to the conclusion of - that he was about to steal Roza out from under me. He had an insight into Roza that I would never posses in the same way he did. He had her memories. They had grown up together and shared secrets and experiences. They had been thrown together from the moment Roza had been born, and had connected by living through important milestones in each other's lives together.

I didn't have that insight into Roza. I knew as much as she told me. I didn't know _in-depth_ who Roza was or who she used to be in Turkey. She was still as much of a mystery as she had been three months ago.

When Kadir had thrown insults at me, completely oblivious to Roza standing a meter away from us, I was able to stomach them. While I knew very well that Roza had joined us at this point, I was too focused on him to actually acknowledge her presence.

I knew I could handle his insults – I'd handled prison as a youth and could surely handle a jealous outburst. But what I couldn't handle was listening to him herald to anyone within a mile radius that I had somehow deceived myself into Roza's affections. I wasn't sure where he got that idea from, but I had never been anything but upfront with Roza. She knew almost everything there was to know about me.

But other than him proclaiming how I had falsely 'wormed' my way into Roza's bed, he appeared to have an extreme and slightly irrational aversion to my nationality. But it was clear he was more disturbed by Roza and I mainly because of where I was from and what job I held. His distaste may not have even been particularly directed at me, but more so the Bratva.

It was when he began speaking crudely of Roza that I reacted. That didn't sit well with me.

It was exactly why I had shoved him. I needed him far away from me before he said anything that would snap the band of control within me – the band that was already beginning to tell me to just hit him.

I knew I had an aggressive undertone to my personality, but I also knew that I didn't want it coming out any time soon. There was a time and a place for that kind of anger and now was _not_ the most appropriate of times.

But none of the insults that he could have thought up would have hurt as much as when Roza admitted she loved him. That was a real _physical_ pain right there. To hear that the heart of the woman you had invested your entire soul into still belonged to someone else was gut-wrenching.

The guilt in her eyes had been my answer before she even opened her mouth. What followed from her tongue was possibly worse than her telling me she loved him. I didn't want to think about the possibility of her bearing his children rather than mine. I didn't want to picture her with a family of her own that didn't include myself.

What I hadn't expected was for her to vouch her love towards _me_ and tell me most of what Kadir had said wasn't true. She'd left Istanbul pure, meaning Kadir had never actually touched her. It was a considerable relief to be no longer thinking of them.

She had left me speechless and completely shocked. She left no doubt in my mind that she was with whom she truly wanted to be with. She had been shaken by Kadir's arrival, but it hadn't changed the way she felt about our future together or me.

A single week from the night that was laced with both agony and pleasure was when we had another close call. But at least this time we had been prepared.

* * *

 ** _March 21, 1925._**

It took me a week, but I eventually had time during daylight to do an important piece of shopping.

When I had started my day, I had known that I was going out to find a ring for Roza. What I hadn't counted on was walking into Abe as I was leaving the jeweller. _I_ had had nowhere to hide, so I hid the small velvet box that I held into the depths of my pocket.

Abe looked at me accusingly, knowing that I had no business being in a jewellery store. I would have been offended, but we both knew that I _should_ have had no reason to be there.

"Belikov?" he questioned while narrowing his gaze.

"Abe," I nodded. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, I have a daughter turning twenty-six today and a gift to pick up. I assume you're doing the same?"

I stayed quiet and simply nodded to him. I prayed that he didn't ask what I bought for her because, at the end of the day, I hadn't yet asked permission for his daughter's hand in marriage.

"Shall we take a walk?" Abe smiled smugly, noticing my discomfort instantly.

Panic filled me. Weeks ago I was fine being in the same room as Abe, but now I couldn't even handle walking alongside him alone. He had this ability to make me feel like a teenager trying to court his daughter, and it worked every time.

I internally groaned. "Of course. But don't you have to pick something out?"

"Nonsense. I'm merely picking _up_. I already had her gift purchased." Of course he did. Abe was always on top of everything. "Cecily, sweetheart," Abe directed to the jewellery attendant that had just helped me with Roza's ring.

She didn't need any other prompting after that. She just scurried out the back and returned a moment later with a small blue bag with a red bow tied neatly on it. There was a quick exchange of green paper and then the bag was out of sight – much like my own gift.

A walk was the furthest thing from my mind however. The forecast for the morning had turned out horrible. It was cold, dark and windy for almost ten in the morning. It wasn't exactly strolling worthy weather, but I would do my best to ignore the wind and use my duster to my advantage.

I dug my hands deep into my pockets and hunched my neck forward slightly so that my mouth fell behind my collar. The velvet box brushed against my fingertips with every move I made and created a heavier weight in my chest each time. I'd have to ask permission eventually for his daughter's hand, even if I had already taken it _without_ said permission.

"I must admit, Belikov. I'm curious to know how the arrangement will work once Rose gives birth. Will she be moving in with you? What happens if you are required to return to Russia?"

I stared ahead unblinkingly and faced the harsh icy wind. I refused to let show that he was even slightly intimidating me. It was different three months ago when he held no family value to me, but now, he was destined to be my father-in-law soon enough. He was going to be the grandfather of my child.

He wasn't someone that I wanted to disrespect or look down on. Especially seeing as I was about to divulge mine and Roza's plan to be married once our baby was born. While Roza and I hadn't followed the traditional way of courting and _then_ starting a family, that in no way meant Abe didn't expect me to uphold a certain level of traditionalism.

 _No better time than the present_ , a voice echoed in my head. The voice was clearly pushing me to ask 'permission' for his daughter's hand, and even though we had _both_ already proposed to each other, why not ask just now?

My fingers brushed over the small velvet box in my pocket again.

"We actually have been discussing our options lately. With everything that had happened lately, I'm planning to ask for relief from Chicago. I want to take Roza back to Russia with me."

I felt Abe's questionable gaze upon me, but we didn't stop walking nor did I turn to face him. "Do you believe we aren't doing a good enough job here?"

"I wouldn't think that for a second. But I'm also thinking about the life I want my child to have. I want to take her back to the town that my family still resides in."

Nothing. Not a breath, not a word and not a single twitch.

"My sisters have children of their own, so our baby will grow up always surrounded by family. I think that is important for a young child."

Abe looked forward once more and I could see out of the corner of my eye, him move his hand so that it could stroke his goatee. He was confident and he was listening to me like it was a sales pitch.

This time I did stop. This wasn't meant to be a sales pitch – it was me ensuring Roza's safety _and_ that of our child's. I stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk and he turned slowly to face me.

I couldn't make out what he was thinking by his face. He looked completely passive and blank. But I took his silence as me having his full attention.

Did he _want_ a sales pitch? Fine. I'll give him the fucking sales pitch.

"I don't want to take any chances this time, Abe. In the town, she will be well cared for and well protected, even when I'm in the city. Please trust that I can do it – that I won't let anything happen to her."

Pushing my hand deeper into my pocket again, I grasped the small box in my hand and pulled it out so that Abe could see it clearly. His gaze shifted down to my hands momentarily before quickly looking back up at me. If he was shocked he didn't show it.

"I want to marry your daughter, Abe. I love her. So much. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. We haven't exactly done all this the right way, and even now I'm doing this so backward that my mother would smack me upside the head. Roza and I are already engaged, but would you give us your blessing?"

At this point, I wasn't sure if Abe was just staying silent to unnerve me, or if I had possibly left him speechless. My question was answered when he finally spoke for the first time in several minutes. I think I would have preferred it if he was still trying to intimidate me.

"May I?" he asked quietly, his voice breaking slightly. Without missing a beat, I reached out to him and handed the box over.

As he opened the box, he didn't let his eyes blink, almost as if he thought he would miss something. I didn't doubt that he could see the nervousness on my face. When he eventually broke away and looked down at the ring, I could have sworn I saw his lips curl into a smile.

"So you proposed to my daughter without asking me?" he glared slightly, but for once I could see the humour in his eyes.

"With all due respect, sir. I asked for your daughter's hand after knowing her a single week but she promptly shot me down."

"And yet here we are having this conversation?"

"Roza asked me last week after the Kadir incident." I shivered just thinking about that argument.

Abe raised his eyebrows and looked back down at the ring. "Well, my girl never was one for doing things traditionally."

I gave a small smile and watched as he snapped the box closed again. "If I had of listened to you that night in my office, perhaps none of this may have happened." I raised an eyebrow, was this Abe admitting he was _wrong?_

"I trust you to take care of my daughter and the child – but I want your word that you will put her life before your own. She's all I have left, I don't want her going anywhere."

"I've been willing to lay down my life for her from the second I saw her, Abe," I said strongly and unwaveringly. I wanted him to know just how serious I was.

He handed back over the engagement ring and offered me a small smile. I wasn't sure what I could say that would convince him how serious I was. I always believed that actions spoke louder than words. I believed that me pledging my undying loyalty to his daughter was different than actually following through with it. He wouldn't know how serious I was unless her life was ever in danger again.

"I did some asking around at the club. I'm impressed that you held your own when Kadir was being unreasonable. But I'm more impressed that you jumped in when he brought Rose into it."

I scowled. "I'm not the type of man that allows that kind of talk about women to slide – especially when it involves the mother of my child. I understand that he was caught off guard but there is no excuse for him to talk about Roza that way."

Abe's expression relaxed and I was able to see just how much Kadir's reaction had surprised him as well. It seemed he caught everyone by surprise with how badly he reacted.

"Look, son. I won't bullshit you and say I was _ecstatic_ about playing happy families with you. The business we had in Istanbul kept us on delicate terms with Russia and there is still a strain that has transferred onto Kadir. I always knew there was something between those two back home, but I needed to know you would fight for my daughter when it came down to it. You did me very proud and I would be honoured to pass my blessing onto you and my daughter."

I didn't know what to address first. The fact that he had been testing me or the first real information I had discovered about their time in Istanbul.

But before I could open my mouth, a car pulled up on the curb and honked its horn.

"Remember dinner at seven. _Vladimir's_. Don't be late," Abe chuckled before disappearing into the cab of a car.

Within seconds the car had joined the other sporadic traffic and I was left on the sidewalk slightly stumped by how well that talk had gone.

* * *

I slipped back into my apartment and bedroom before Roza had even woke up. She'd stirred briefly when I'd left earlier, but I knew with her abnormal sleeping pattern, she would still be out by the time I got home.

I couldn't help but smile to myself as her bareback reflected off of the light that had managed to make it past the curtains. The sight of her brought back vivid memories of the night before.

Kneeling on the bed, I let my mouth trail kisses down the length of her spine. They followed the track that my fingers had made the previous night as she was bent before me like a stretching cat.

A breathy moan escaped her and I began smiling into the kisses. When I reached the dip of her lower back and where the bed sheet kept her covered, I halted my affections and let my hands glide down the sides of her rib cage and waist.

My hands dipped under the bed sheet to rest on her hips as I massaged her lightly. I couldn't help but bring my lips to her throat and nip at the soft skin.

"Happy Birthday, Roza," I whispered huskily into her ear, sucking her lobe in my mouth and giving it a teething bite.

She moaned again and wriggled slightly beneath me, brushing her bare ass up against my slack covered crotch.

I shuddered as I tried to remember why I had gotten out of bed this morning. I could have had her naked and warm body still wrapped around me. I could have been showering her body with kisses and making her scream and squirm with pleasure.

 _The ring you fucking idiot!_ The voice inside my head screamed at me, piercing through the veil of lust surrounding me.

"I got you something," I somehow managed to get out. It seemed to wake her up considerably.

"Mm?" She hummed happily, opening her eyes slowly to look at me.

Reaching into my pocket, I produced the small velvet box and opened it beside her head.

The widening of her eyes and her gaping mouth was enough of a reaction for me.

I brought her hand to my mouth, kissing her ring finger before plucking the ring from the box. I could see the happiness on her face as I held it in front of her. It only made me more excited for our future together.

* * *

Vladimir's was tucked away in the heart of downtown Chicago and wasn't nearly as flashy as I thought it would have been. I had figured from who Abe was as a person, that he would have wanted something over the top and expensive for his daughter's birthday.

It turned out that I was only half right.

One look at the dimly lit restaurant told me that it was more warm and comfortable than it was posh and exclusive. I immediately felt overdressed in my best suit, and felt even worse for our accompanying women who had primped themselves to a standard one couldn't describe.

The more I looked around the room though, the more I saw that the restaurant was, in fact, upscale and had a very particular clientele.

Clothing sparkled with jewels and gems while smoke trailed towards the ceiling from the countless lit cigarette. Another thing I noticed was that all the women were using holders for their cigarettes – something I had never seen the women from the club use. Ever.

We all fit in remarkably well, including the men that followed us in as per Abe's discretion.

The tension wasn't obvious while we were being seated, but it was there.

I pretended not to notice the side glances that Kadir gave Roza and I. I put all of my focus into the hand that I rested on Roza's thigh. But the more that Kadir went ignored, the more he became visibly agitated – not that anyone but myself truly noticed.

The entire table was more interested in asking Roza about her pregnancy to notice the silent war that Kadir and I were having with piercing eyes and mocking smirks.

"Do you have much arranged for _when_ the child is born?" Pavel asked curiously once our food had arrived.

Up until then, the questions had been about how Roza was feeling and if she was still nauseous. They asked her if she had any names picked out or what gender she was hoping for.

But no. Let's talk about a topic that not even Roza and I had managed to flesh out entirely. Better yet, let's do it with her jealous ex and friends who most likely wouldn't understand our reasoning.

Sure enough, out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Kadir scowl at his father's question. "Surely you can't move out to suburbia with Dimitri stationed in the city?"

"Of course they are," Abe scoffed with a mouth full of food before I could respond.

Instantly, I tensed up. I probably should have pre-warned Roza that I had met with her father earlier this morning and told him about our plans to move to Russia – but it had completely slipped my mind. I couldn't help but think Abe was about to drop that bombshell on the entire table right then and there.

"What's the place called again, Belikov?"

I grimaced. "Baia."

Confused glances all suddenly pointed towards Roza and me. Roza tensed up with the sudden and overwhelming scrutiny, so I gave her thigh a quick squeeze. We hadn't had time to prepare for this reveal, and we were both nervous about the reactions it would bring on.

"Baia? I've never heard of that suburb…are you...leaving Chicago?" Lissa was the first at the table to piece everything together, and it made sense seeing as she had spent her entire life in the city.

I nodded stiffly before responding, "It's the town I grew up in."

"You grew up in Russia though…" Christian mumbled while glaring at the both of us.

"That's right, Christian," Abe smiled gleefully. "It seems that our time remaining with my daughter is limited before they whisk themselves away to Russia."

A heavy and tense silence settled over the entire table. I could see Kadir shift uncomfortably in his seat as well as his father. Roza's friends looked equally unsettled too – practically gaping in shock.

In her lap, Roza's hands were clenched tightly together while her thumb brushed over the engagement ring I had placed on her finger earlier.

It seemed the only one at the table who hadn't conformed to the shared discomfort of the table, was Abe himself. He continued to cut his meat loudly – the silver cutlery scrapping against his plate in almost an obnoxious way – while I continued to fall deeper and deeper into their glares.

After several painful seconds, the silence was broken by a sudden scoff in foreign words from across the table – clearly directed at me.

I couldn't understand or work out the possible slur as it came from Kadir and in his native tongue, but those around me who could, glared at Kadir while he gave an apologetic shrug – everyone aside from Abe of course.

The only time he acknowledged what was going on around him, was when Roza's lips curled into a smirk and she snapped back a response in Turkish. Whatever she said made Abe bite back a snicker and made Kadir roll his eyes – even Pavel laughed at the dig directed towards his son. Although, they all quickly delved into a discussion that the rest of us hadn't been invited to.

Seemingly oblivious to the Turkish war of words opposite her, Lissa directed her questioning onto me instead of Roza. She spoke softly and I swore I could hear a quiver in her voice.

"Are going to be leaving before or after Rose gives birth?"

"After. But the longer we're here and near Nathan, the longer Roza is at risk."

"But if they catch him and lock him away, you wouldn't need to go _anywhere!_ You guys could stay."

The hopefulness on his voice pulled Roza back into the conversation and I didn't need to look at her to know how pained her expression would have been – I could instead hear it in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Lis," she began sadly, and I could see the exact moment the hopeful smile was wiped from Lissa's face. "But-"

"-Being incarcerated won't stop him from simply outsourcing it," Abe interrupted. "As grim as it all is, they _are_ safer as far away as possible."

Abe wasn't joking or exaggerating either. During my own incarceration, several hits were ordered on those inside and out. It didn't take much to just pay someone to do your dirty work for you.

But with telecommunications not reaching over water, it would be ridiculously expensive and hard for Nathan to order an overseas hit.

Even if he had the funding or that amount of dedication, by the time he could find someone willing to spend several months abroad we would be long gone and disappeared deep into the depths of Russia.

I appreciated that Abe shared my thoughts on the move between countries, but I knew it was going to be hard for him to accept how far away from his daughter and grandchild he would be.

It seemed with that, the conversation was over. Abe's words were final and weren't to be disputed. While there was still an awkward hue lingering over the table, Adrian attempted to bring it back to more pleasant topics.

* * *

After dinner, Abe led us further into the restaurant and then through the kitchen. Taking Roza's arm under his, he ushered her ahead of the rest of us. With our sudden change in destination, I could see the men that Abe had placed throughout the restaurant become aware that we were moving and began following discreetly.

Everyone we passed in the kitchen gave Abe and his daughter large smiles – this obviously wasn't their first visit here. My suspicions were confirmed when we passed through a large red door and was thrown into a part of Chicago that I had never seen.

It was another speakeasy, but it was different than The Royal Court – that was a burlesque club. This place was something different. There was a small band set up, significantly smaller than the one Abe possessed but it fit in with the atmosphere of the room.

There were no dancers here. There were no women dressed in borderline scandalous garbs or drunken idiots who couldn't keep their hands to themselves. This was more intimate and relaxing. The music was more of a smooth jazz whereas at the club it was fast-paced and exciting for the girls to dance to.

Before I could see any more of the room, a middle-aged woman stepped in front of us. I had to say, for her age she looked divine.

She was dressed in a pantsuit – which I knew right off the bat was taboo for women here – but the grey slacks that fanned out and covered her shoes were paired with a black blouse and worked surprisingly well. She was a lady-legger and she obviously wasn't any plain Jane.

"You better not be draggin' any bulls in after you, Ibrahim," she glared slightly. "I know you got them tailing your girl."

Instead of Abe answering her, Pavel stepped forward with a sly grin on his face. "Alberta, my darling, I purposely didn't wear my red dress shirt tonight. "

Was Pavel _flirting_? I'd never heard anything remotely flirtatious ever leave his mouth. Menacing? Yes. Intimidating? Definitely. But _never_ had I heard him speak with a huskiness that rivalled my own when I spoke to Roza.

'Alberta' pursed her lips slightly as she tried to stifle a laugh. She tapped her cheek with her finger. "Pay the toll, handsome."

I was the _only_ one who looked surprised when Pavel ignored her cheek and instead placed a delicate kiss on her pouting lips. The rest of my companions seemed to be normalised with the show of affection, including his own son.

"You all know the drill. But for you two," Alberta pointed to myself and Kadir, "bar is up against the back and feel free to have a dance. We have a strict no fighting policy here. No guns no fists no anything. We clear?"

Both Kadir and I nodded absentmindedly as the entire group branched off to either dance of socialise.

I strolled up to where Alberta had pointed out was the bar after witnessing Roza being stolen away and steered towards the dance floor by her father. I chuckled to myself while heading for the slightly elevated platform.

It was not long into my drink that I gained company. Albeit, not my first choice of companionship.

We both leaned forwards on the railing, looking onwards at Roza as she danced with her father. Any discomfort that I would have felt with Kadir standing so close to me went unnoticed. I was too caught up in staring at Roza as one of the most wonderful smiles I had ever seen graced her face.

Abe twirled her around as if she were a young girl dancing on his toes. His own lips were pulled into a grin that I had never seen before. While Abe was known to let a smile crack, they were usually smug. When Abe was smiling at you, he knew something you didn't.

But now, there was no smugness – just pure unadulterated happiness. It seemed like a rare moment that they were able to share, one that I was content in just watching.

Kadir seemed to feel the same. He watched them silently with a similar small smile on his face. I could feel him waiting to say something. I wasn't sure what it was, but I wasn't interested in having another battle of insults with him.

Once was enough for me in that category. I was here to celebrate my _fiancé's_ birthday, not entertain the green-eyed monster that lay beneath Kadir's façade.

"You know, it's hard being so hung up on a girl that you can't look at others," Kadir confessed with a sigh. Curiously, I turned my head to face him. He was still looking towards Roza with wistfulness in his eyes. A week ago, that wistfulness would have angered me, but now, I could hear a hint of defeat in his voice.

"I missed her for five years and hoped she was doing the same. I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted her back. But within a few hours of being here…that was all taken awake from me."

My brows drew together in confusion. What exactly was he trying to say? Was he trying to incite a feud between us or was there something else going on? Either way, I wasn't going to show any signs of surrender.

"I'm not apologizing for falling in love with Roza," I said bluntly.

With a sharp laugh, Kadir finally faced me. "I don't expect you to, nor do I blame you – she is just simply too captivating. I mean look at her." Completely caught by his words, I let him direct my gaze back to where Roza was. "How could anyone _not_ fall in love with her upon seeing her for the first time?"

I brought my hand up to rub the back of my neck. What Kadir had described had been my exact circumstance. I had been falling for Roza the moment I saw her sitting at the bar. I hadn't known her name, or who she was. But her beauty and the way she smiled at Adrian had left me wanting to drop to my knees before her.

She was a goddess and I honestly hadn't thought about the other men in her life that may have shared my reaction. Kadir had known her his entire life; he had watched her grow up in the woman she was today.

"Why did you come back for her?" I asked quietly.

"Because no one else compared to her," he admitted. "I dated a few women back home, but none of them were able to make me forget about Rose – not even momentarily. But you…she met you and forgot to write to me for three months. You captured her, just as she captures everyone else."

Without needing further explanation from Kadir, I could instantly place together the entire history they had shared.

Despite growing up together, they both thought that any romantic interest would have been weird for one another. By the time they _actually_ acknowledged anything more than friendly feelings for one another, Roza was on a ship headed for America and thousands of miles away.

Kadir had been stuck on her since the moment he had let her go.

"You won her, and I want to apologize for letting my emotions get the better of me."

"I accept the apology, but Roza's affections were never a game to me. You can't _win_ in something that wasn't a game."

Kadir smiled cunningly, "That's where you're wrong my friend. Janine filled her head with stories of love and companionship. She wanted her to have a family before she died, but she also wanted her to be happy – she didn't want Rose to just settle because her mother was dying. You fought for her life – saved it as well it seems. You _won_ her affection and you deserve it. Janine would have loved you, I can already tell."

I didn't need to think hard about who Janine was. She was obviously Roza's late mother, the woman who she spoke rarely of. Abe had spoken about her but only in his moments where he appeared less than composed.

She had done the right thing by Rose, teaching her that she didn't need to enter a loveless marriage. I did find out one thing though, and that was that Roza's mother had died of an illness. There had been no foul play resulting in her death – Roza had watched her mother deteriorate over time and I think that was harder than the former.

"We all love Rose," Kadir suddenly said, snapping me back to him. "Promise me you'll take care of her?" Kadir asked me sincerely, his accent thick and husky.

I could tell that it was hard for him to give up Roza. He had come to America _for_ her – only to find her settling down. It would have been a shock for him, and with his slight aversion to Russia and its people, it would have been a lot to take in all in one night.

I could understand him letting his emotions get the better of him. I could understand him lashing out and seeing me as the person who took Roza from him – even if I hadn't truly stolen anything from anyone.

"I intend to give my entire life to Roza, Kadir. If any harm would come to her it would destroy me. If it was required, I'd lay down my life for her."

Deeming my answer fit, Kadir smiled softly and held his hand out for me. It seemed easy.

"What did you call me at dinner?" I asked with a playful smile, releasing Kadir's hand and turning back to see Roza dance again. Even in the dim light, I didn't miss the sparkle of her engagement ring or the gift from her father - the diamond pendant hanging around her neck.

He chuckled. "A cradle robber of sorts. But Rose was quick to inform than that I'm only a couple of years your junior. Meaning I'm just as much one as well."

With a chuckle of my own, I downed the remainder of my drink and placed my empty glass on a nearby table.

"Up for another, brother?" Kadir asked, finishing his own drink.

His question caught me off guard, but still made me smile. I guess at this point, anyone who Roza considered family was my family as well.

I nodded and watched him return to the bar. I hadn't expected the night to have such a turn. It could only go uphill from here…surely.

* * *

Roza's laughter filled the hallway as I carried her over my shoulder and towards my apartment, but it seemed that the closer we got to the door, the more we risked not making it all.

The night had gone better than expected. With Kadir and I mending our bridges and no sign of Nathan, we were drunk and making the most of the time we had. When we finally made it to the door, I pulled Roza forward and dragged her body down mine as slowly as possible.

I pulled her tight against me, feeling the curve of her body against my chest as she wiggled suggestively against me.

I dropped her back down to the ground as I fumbled trying to find my keys in my pocket. But Roza was less interested in getting inside the apartment, and more focused on testing my views of public sex.

She nibbled relentlessly at the column of my neck, her tongue stroking effortlessly and making me have to pause several times. I couldn't think properly, especially not with her manipulating my body to her every whim.

Forgetting the keys, I pushed her back roughly into the wall behind us and she let out a moan of approval. With my hand tangled in her hair and the other clamped down on her ass, it took everything within me to not take her right there in the hallway. We were so close, but I was beginning to struggle.

"What do you want, Roza?" I whispered into her ear before lifting her back up to me, allowing her to hook her legs around my waist.

She looked at me through hooded eyes. The normally chocolate orbs were blackened with lust and blending in flawlessly with her pupils. She leaned in close to me, close enough that I felt her lips brush ever so lightly over my own as she spoke.

"I want you to fuck me hard and make me feel loved at the same time," she growled while latching onto my collar, using it to pull me closer to her.

Well, fuck me. That was all the convincing I needed to get us back into the apartment.

I groaned and pushed her impossibly harder into the door, attacking her mouth with my own in a desperate battle. With my intentions of getting her into the apartment and taking her as soon as possible, my lust fogged brain found my keys easily and unlocked the door with record speed.

We stumbled in the dark apartment, our mouths practically fused together while she ground her hips into mine.

Someone coughed from inside the apartment, jarring me away from Roza and focusing on the darkness. Without thinking, I flicked on the light and was met with the cold features of Nathan sitting right there on my couch – gun pointed at Roza and I.

I dropped Roza and pushed her behind me, using my entire body to protect her from Nathan if need be. It appeared I was going to be showing Abe and Kadir just how dedicated I was to protecting Roza.

And even though I was staring down the barrel of a gun, my heart didn't even skip a beat. My hands twitched to reach for the gun that was in my shoulder holster, but there was no way I was going to risk Roza's life – not when I knew that it was only a matter of time before Nathan would be on his knees.

"No need to be so valiant. I'll just shoot you and then the whore," Nathan assured with an unstable chuckle as he stood from the couch and approached us.

I should have been scared; I should have seen my entire life flashing before my eyes. But what Nathan didn't know was that he was hopelessly outnumbered. If he had thought for a single second that we would have brought Roza out _without_ any form of backup, he may not have backed himself into a corner.

I wasn't going to risk her life for anything, and I wouldn't have brought her out into a public space if I didn't feel that she was safe.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I smiled, unable to stop the amusement in my voice.

Ivan emerged from the hallway leading to the bedrooms with his gun drawn and trained right onto Nathan standing in front of me. He didn't stop walking until the barrel of his gun was pressed firmly against the nape of Nathan's neck.

"Lock was picked about ten minutes ago. I'd bet everything he was watching you at Vlad's and saw the amount of acompanying muscle and chickened out. Thought he could catch you both here distracted."

What a fucking idiot. Nathan hadn't even checked the apartment after breaking in to see if anyone was home. He talked tough and acted big, but when it came down to it, he was nothing but an amateur.

"I was going to take care of it for you, but I thought you might like the honours."

I smiled cruelly at how right Ivan was. I _did_ want the honours. I wanted to be the one Nathan was looking at when a bullet passed through that fucked up head of his. As if he sensed this, Nathan suddenly became pensive. The fire that had been in his eyes dribbled away and I saw what was truly there.

There was desperation in his eyes. A desperation that screamed he hadn't thought this through. With Ivan's gun trained on him and myself packing, he was severally outnumbered and had nowhere to go.

His gun dropped from his hands, clattering loudly onto the floor before raising his hands slightly. I flinched microscopically when the gun hit the ground, half expecting it to go off. Kicking it away with my foot once I was convinced there were no surprise shots coming, I returned my gaze to Nathan.

This was a sight I never thought I would see. The man, who had threatened to take everything away from me all in the name of a game, had surrendered himself.

I reached underneath my jacket, brandishing my own gun and aimed it identically to how Nathan had upon me. When I looked at him, I saw all the evil that had transpired in the past three months. I saw him shooting Stan to have power over the division. I saw him shooting Roza all those years ago like she was nothing but an inconvenience.

I saw him terrorize everyone he came into contact with, from innocent patrons at the club to us. I saw him threatening lives left right and centre. He was the evil in the world, and I had the power to end it all right now.

He was cornered and weaponless. He knew this was the end. Knowing that I held his life in my hands at that moment was euphoric.

I basked selfishly in that power it brought me. I hadn't felt such a large swell of it since my first pick up here in Chicago when I had proved who was in charge to the customs officer.

That was my first and only moment of true power in this city as I had always felt that someone was one step ahead of me – that person being Nathan.

I let the wave of power consume me and tightened my grip on the gun's hilt before drawing back the hammer. My finger twitched to finally end it all; all I needed to do was pull the trigger and it would be over.

"Dimitri," I heard whispered from behind me. I cocked my head to the direction of the voice, meeting Roza's wide and scared eyes. "Please don't."

I was dumbstruck.

Roza didn't want me to end this all; she wanted me to put the gun away. She never ceased to surprise me – she always found something new to stump me with. But I didn't know if I could do it this time. After everything that Nathan had done to us, I wasn't sure if I had it in me to refrain from pulling the trigger.

"Roza, this could all end now. It could _fix_ everything."

And it could. If Nathan were dead, I wouldn't need to take Roza away from Chicago. She would be able to stay where she had come to make a life for herself – she could probably even continue dancing once she had recovered from the pregnancy.

"No more death. Please, Dimitri."

I couldn't ignore the pleaing tone in her voice.

I wrapped my hand around the back of Nathan's head and brought him down hard into my waiting knee. Nathan crashed to the floor moaning and with a bloodied face.

"Go get those useless sacks of shit from downstairs," I growled towards Ivan. Those Detectives had _seriously_ fucked up tonight.

What a fucking cock block.


	21. A Stratagem

_What's this? Two updates in one week? Better get used to it!_

 _(Another chapter that I haven't spent hours checking for any errors. I think I got them all, but I apologise for any that slipped past me.)_

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

 ** _March 1925._** _(Twelve Weeks Pregnant)_

I was honestly surprised that Dimitri had even listened to my request to not kill Nathan. I had been half expecting him to ignore me entirely and pull the trigger anyway.

To hell with my requests.

But he had and I wasn't too sure if I had made the right choice in asking Dimitri to spare Nathan's life.

A first, all that had been going through my head was how I would be able to maybe stay in Chicago if he were dead. But when I thought about it, I realized I had become attached to the idea of living in Dimitri's old hometown.

I _wanted_ our baby to have more than a city run by gangs. I wanted my child to grow up with _other_ children. I wanted a home for him or her, not an apartment.

I _wanted_ my baby to have the same kind of childhood I had experienced. Playing outside in the sun and on grass – not in the concrete streets of Chicago.

I _wanted_ to take my baby to Russia. So I'd decided it didn't matter if Nathan was dead or alive really because I was going. But if I got to spare one more life, I would do it.

There were things I had been able to experience – and others that I hadn't – which I wanted my child to have. I wanted him or her to have a large family with other children to grow up with. Didn't every mother?

My own mother had always told me to have a family for the right reasons, and even though our baby wasn't planned, there was no way that it would be treated any differently.

I would do anything to keep the tiny life inside me alive and still growing. But I didn't know if I could handle having another life on my conscience.

Stan had died at the hands of Nathan because he lost interest in Dimitri and I. I killed Inna because she had been moments away from ending my own life. Isaiah was shot and even though he kind of had it coming, it was still another death.

Dimitri didn't think I knew, but I was well aware of the mess he had left in the clinic upon my rescue.

I had read about the carnage in the morning paper. Eight men had been shot and left for dead in the lobby – five of them actually dying. American Mob. None of Dimitri's men had fallen that night.

It was too much death and it all weighed on me. I didn't want anyone else losing their lives – no matter how easy it would make my own life or how much they deserved it.

Men were still missing. No one had heard from Luka since the rescue or Elena. Mason had tried his hardest to track the siblings down. But they had just vanished.

It was still undetermined if they had fled Chicago and Nathan, or if their bodies were buried somewhere out of state. I wouldn't have put it past Nathan to take out anyone who he thought for a second, had something to do with my rescue.

He'd wanted a game, and he'd gotten it for approximately a week. Then his game had come crashing down around him.

All those lives, male and female, innocent and guilty, it was a lot of death to have hanging over your head.

* * *

The Police precinct was cold and quiet at that time of night. It had felt the same way when we had been held here after finding Stan's body. Though, we were there under very different pretences this time.

I'd been sitting in the cold chair in the hallway for over an hour by this point. I was tired and still had alcohol in my system, which didn't help my irritability.

The only person who was tenser than myself was Dimitri. For the entire time we sat in the hallway, his knee had bounced nervously and he rambled incoherently in Russian.

I practically jumped out of my skin when Dimitri unexpectedly got up from his chair. He murmured something along the lines of finding Detective Steele and told Kadir to keep an eye on me. Because apparently, I needed a _babysitter_ now.

Dimitri didn't say why he wanted to talk to Detective Steele, but I assumed it was to ask if we could go home.

When Dimitri didn't come back within five or so minutes, that was when I went looking for him. There were only so many places in a Police precinct that he could have disappeared to.

Kadir came with me, staying by my side. It annoyed me a bit that they acted as if I was precious cargo. I wasn't _incapable._ I appreciated the concern, but I didn't need someone hovering over me twenty-four seven.

What I didn't expect to see when I eventually found Dimitri, was him standing outside a door having a hushed argument with Detective Steele. Kadir and I stayed out of sight, unable to hear what they were arguing about but both of us concerned.

It wasn't until Dimitri disappeared behind the door that I started approaching the Detective. They had obviously been arguing about something and I sure as hell wanted to know what about.

"What's behind that door?" I blurted out while stomping towards him.

He let out an exasperated sigh, one that I couldn't help but glare at him for. He looked drained and ridiculously tired. Large black bags hung under his eyes and deep down I knew I didn't have to be pushy with him tonight. He's probably had enough of people being pushy with him.

He didn't bother trying to hide anything from us.

"Nathan," he sighed defeatedly. He's being interrogated and your boyfriend wanted in. I told him we don't do shit like that, but he insisted."

What the fuck did Dimitri think he was going to accomplish by going into the interrogation? Closure? I didn't think so. If anything, whatever Nathan would say would just get under Dimitri's skin.

I looked to the door directly beside the one Dimitri disappeared behind. "That the viewing room?" I asked harshly while waiting for Steele to allow me passage.

He nodded reluctantly and began ushering me towards it. "I'll warn you though, Nathan seems to have finally cracked mentally. Something in him has broken."

"In what way?" Kadir asked.

Steele shrugged. "He's gone off the hook. He's admitting to stuff we didn't even know about. He even told us he left Chicago and only returned tonight with a clear intention of killing Miss Hathaway. He's got this look in his eye."

"What kind of look?" I asked cautiously.

"You'll see."

And indeed I did.

I didn't have a chance to process the new information before we were entering a dark viewing room. A wall which I could only assume had some sort of two-way glass covered a majority of the wall, and there sitting at a table in the middle was Dimitri, Nathan and another Detective.

While the Detective looked bored and I could only see the back of Dimitri's head, I could tell by his posture that he and Nathan were having at it.

A small grate was placed below the mirror, which allowed us to hear exactly what was being said in the adjacent room.

I wished I'd stayed out in the hallway. I wasn't prepared for what I was about to hear in any way.

"I'll be out of here before you know it," Nathan spat at Dimitri across the metal table that divided them. "And when I am, you best believe that I'll come after your whore and that bastard child growing inside of her."

My entire body went rigid and my hand immediately flew to my only barely protruding stomach. How could he know that I was pregnant? It had only been Luka in my room that day. I refused to believe that after everything he did to get me out of his own clinic, he would betray Dimitri and me by telling Nathan about our baby.

If Detective Steele was telling the truth about Nathan actually fleeing Chicago, it meant he shouldn't have known about the pregnancy at all.

It seemed that his words hadn't affected just myself. Dimitri's entire body went stiffer than my own, and I could see his fists clench tightly on the table they rested on. I could only imagine the look that would be displayed on his face.

Dimitri was fiercely protective, and even though this baby was conceived and would be born out of wedlock, I didn't want him or her being referred to as a bastard. Our child was going to be born into a family that loved it – that cared for it. What's the difference if there was or wasn't a wedding band on my finger?

Almost as if he knew I was hidden behind the two-way mirror, Nathan switched his gaze from Dimitri to look at his own reflection. His lips spread into a haunting toothy grin; enough to make me take a sudden step back from the mirror.

Even though I knew he couldn't see me, it was as if he was staring right at me. I felt his eyes bore deep into my own and it sent shivers rippling through my entire body. I took another step back until I hit something behind me.

That was the look Detective Steele warned me about.

Hands softly held me from behind me, keeping me steady and putting me slightly at ease.

"It's okay," Detective Steele suddenly murmured while comfortingly rubbing his hands softly up and down my arms. "He can't see you. He's only assuming."

"I had eyes _everywhere_ in that clinic. It doesn't take much for women to see the signs in another woman."

"Inna…" both Dimitri and I murmured at the same time.

As if he were happy that Dimitri had figured it out, Nathan dropped the hold he had on me through the mirror and refocused on Dimitri.

"She was there when Luka figured it out…of course she would come right to me to tell me. You just got there before I did. She was always so good with eavesdropping; of course, it could get her into trouble more often than not. She knew too much for her own good."

"Is that why you killed her?" the Detective sitting beside Dimitri questioned.

"I didn't touch Inna," Nathan growled.

"Yet it was your pocket knife that was found in the room."

"That's because I gave it to her. The fine choice of calico hidden behind the mirror is the one that stuck it in her."

No one looked behind them.

The Detective sitting beside Dimitri scoffed and crossed his arms defiantly over his chest. "It's a bit too late for false accusations."

But Nathan ignored him entirely because he knew the truth. He didn't care that my father had managed to pin Inna's death on him – he didn't believe that he would be behind bars for long.

"Know this Belikov – I'll take away what you love, just like she did to me. I'll make sure she never takes another breath. And if I get there while she's still pregnant-" Nathan shrugged, leaning back in his chair- "it becomes a two for one deal."

While Nathan's words rocked me to my core, Dimitri only stared back at him. I felt the temperature plummet in not only the interrogation room but also the viewing room I was in. I half expected my breath to come out in clouds.

The hand that I had resting on my stomach moved up to my exposed collarbone. Without thinking, I began rubbing the thin skin while staring blankly at Nathan. Even though he was locked in a staring match with Dimitri that appeared to make _everyone_ nervous, his words hadn't escaped me.

There was _nothing_ that Dimitri and I could do that would really keep our child protected. One way or another, Nathan was going to hunt me down like a hobby.

I had truly fucked up this time.

I should have let Dimitri pull that trigger. I should have let him fix everything that was wrong. But no, I had to pick that moment to have a conscience. By sparing Nathan's life, I had condemned my own.

How could I fix this now? I had thrown away the opportunity to save myself mere hours ago. It was clear that Nathan wasn't going to stop, not until I was dead.

The idea struck me like a car going sixty miles an hour. An idea that just _maybe_ …could-

The screech of Dimitri's made me jump on the spot. My attention was dragged back to the interrogation room where Dimitri stood abruptly. His chair continued to loudly scrape against the floor as he leaned in close to Nathan's relaxed frame.

"Enjoy your time behind bars, Nathan," Dimitri growled down him before stepping away from the chair.

"It will be more of a brief holiday rather than an incarceration, believe me," Nathan yelled back, although Dimitri didn't seem to possess any interest in acknowledging Nathan any more.

As the door slammed behind Dimitri, I was too shocked to even exit the viewing room.

All I could do was stare at Nathan as he conversed with the other Detective. His words fell to deaf ears and I was too busy staring at him. My fingers began to twirl the engagement ring Dimitri had given me

"I wouldn't worry too much, Miss Hathaway," Detective Steele said, softy. "We have enough murders and deaths tracing back to him that we can put him away for a long time. No matter what he says, he will be behind bars for a decent portion of his life."

"Portion?" I mumbled, not liking the sound of that, but I went ignored.

"He will be kept in a form of solitary. No contact to the outside world, and limited contact with gen pop. With his constant threats towards both you and Belikov, we have enough to keep him inside for a long time."

Despite the Detective trying to ease my concerns, I didn't feel the _least_ bit at ease. If anything I felt angry with myself. _I'd_ let this happen. There was one way to fix it, but I wasn't sure if I was prepared to go that far yet.

* * *

 ** _May 1925._** _(Twenty-one Weeks Pregnant)_

The two months that followed Nathan's incarceration was unusually easy going. I had the option of moving back into my apartment, but at the point, I was already comfortable in Dimitri's apartment. I didn't fancy leaving.

Although, I had come to find out just how annoying Ivan could be as a person. He was like an annoying older brother than had a knack for pissing you off. Which I guess fit well seeing as he referred to me as his sister regularly.

That night though, Dimitri was at the downtown docks collecting a shipment. There had been a steady stream of shipments that Dimitri hadn't been present for. Even though he had a pregnant fiancé, he still had a job to do. I could understand that.

However, it left me in the apartment while Ivan had a string of women through his bed. I wasn't a prude or anything, but a little bit of subtlety wouldn't have gone amiss.

I'd been having a pleasant evening of my own with the record player on a softer sound. It was starting to heat up a bit outside now, but the nights were still somewhat cold. So a blanket did wonders.

It was exactly why I hadn't expected Ivan to be lurking around the living area, looking over my shoulder to see what I was doing.

"Watcha' doing?" I heard Ivan ask me in a singsong voice.

Without thinking, I shoved my notepad that had been on my lap into my chest protectively and glared around at him. "Nothing."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled widely. I was never good a covering my tracks. Dammit.

"I'm just taking notes," I mumbled to myself, not wanting to show him the pad.

Apparently, I wasn't going to be given a choice in that matter.

Ivan swooped forward and took the pad out of my hands and from my chest, holding it triumphantly above his head. I jumped up in an attempt to get it back.

But even standing on the couch, Ivan's height meant that the notepad was more than an arm's length above me. I had no hope reaching it and getting it back.

It didn't stop me from trying though.

"Give it back, Ivan!" I growled, but he only laughed at me.

"Has anyone told you that you look a bit like a wet kitten when angry?" I glared at him. "I'll take that as a _no_ then."

"I'm serious, Ivan. Hand it over!"

"What are you taking notes on, _sestra_?" he laughed again, taking a peek at the scribbling.

When he paused and his smile fell slightly, I knew it was too late to stop him from reading it. He had already seen it.

"What is this? Who are all these names?" he asked with almost a worried tone.

Huffing in defeat, I sat back down in the cushions and crossed my arms over my chest before wincing.

I shouldn't have done that so roughly. I had had so much pain and sensitivity recently in my chest that I couldn't handle it. Whenever Dimitri touched my breasts, it was like pain would explode through me.

Damn pregnancy.

"Toma? Sofya? Alena? Alexsandr? What is all this Rose?"

I sighed. "Baby names. I wanted something Russian," I said, looking down and rubbing my growing stomach.

I didn't hear anything for several seconds after that. Just his heavy breathing.

I didn't want anyone to find that piece of paper. I wasn't sure why, but wasn't there some old advice telling you never to share your baby names with anyone? Not that I thought Ivan was going to steal my baby names – unless he had a secret baby on the way.

"Can I make a suggestion?" he eventually said, sitting down in the cushion next to me and picking up my pen. He promptly scratched out the name Alexsandr with several hard lines.

"What? I liked that one!" I huffed again.

"Dimitri won't. Alexsandr was his father's name," he said quietly.

My eyes widened. That was news to me. I had heard a lot about Dimitri's family recently. He talked regularly about his mother and sisters. He practically gushed about his nieces and nephews like they were his own children. But he had only ever spoken about his father _once_. He had never told me his name.

It had been that morning so many months ago. I remembered vividly the fear in his eyes as he told me how he beat his abusive father to death. He thought I would have feared him. But it only made my heart swell in some way.

Dimitri, even as a child, was brave and defensive. It made me feel safe in his arms. I had known from that moment that I would always be safe with Dimitri. Despite my missing week, he had never stopped tracking me down.

He was _nothing_ like his father. And while I liked the name, I knew the Dimitri wouldn't appreciate naming his son after the man who tormented his family.

"Good call then," I nodded, going along with his train of thought.

Ivan smiled softly at me and then went back to scouring through the names. Every so often, he would scratch some out, but he never told me the reasons for it. Not until he returned to the top where I had my favourite names.

"Do you know what these mean?" he asked. I shook my head. "Alena is like light. _Nobility._ It's quite proper but it's beautiful. I think Sofya is originally Greek, but we translate it to mean knowledge and grace."

"I think I like Sofya the most. If this baby is a girl, do you think Dimitri would like it?" I was rubbing my belly again, thinking of a miniature me running around my legs.

I shivered at the prospect of her being anything like me as a child. I had been a hell of a handful. I wanted a son.

"I think he would like Ivanna _more_ ," he grinned.

I couldn't help myself. I had to laugh as well, but I also pushed his arm playfully. "I'm serious," I managed between giggles.

"Fine," Ivan laughed again. "Your best names here are Toma and Sofya if you are set on Russian names. He will love both of them."

Talking with Ivan had made me realize how close this all was becoming. I was almost halfway through my pregnancy at this point and I had to make a decision.

It appeared there were a few cops on my father's payroll as well now – ones that were more than willing to keep Nathan disconnected from the outside world and the rest of the prison.

But that wasn't why I needed to act on the plan I had concocted. The closer I got to my due date, the less of a chance this plan had at working. If I was going to do it, I needed to get those who I needed in on it as soon as I could.

"Could you take me to the club?" I asked abruptly, jerking Ivan back to my direct attention.

Even with Nathan being incarcerated, I still preferred to have one of the guys with me. It was just for peace of mind really.

"Yeah, okay. Let me get the sugar out of my bed and we will get going."

With that, Ivan disappeared down the hall and into his bedroom. A moment later, a red-head with shortly cropped hair scurried out after kissing him goodbye at the door.

* * *

The club was as busy as I had expected it to be. Saturdays always were. But for once, I didn't stop as I walked through the theatre. I didn't stop to greet any of the dancers I saw or patrons I knew by name. I didn't even stop for Adrian and Christian.

I hadn't come to the club to socialize; I'd come to talk to my father and hopefully Kadir and Pavel if they were hanging around. Ivan escorted me all the way through the busy theatre until I reached my father's office door.

I didn't particularly care that it was closed. Because whatever he was having a meeting about, was surely not as important as the lives of his daughter and grandchild.

I'd bet my life on it.

However, when I opened the door, it wasn't the kind of meeting I'd expected to be interrupting.

All the men I had been hoping to see were sitting at my father's desk with papers in front of them.

"We need to talk, Old Man," I said closing the office door promptly behind me.

All three men looked up, not noticing my arrival prior to me closing the door. They all wore the same grin on their faces. They had been planning something, and I immediately wanted in on it.

My father sat back into his leather chair, the chair groaning under his weight while he weaved his fingers together on the desk.

"I believe we do, Kiz."

I didn't hesitate. I just jumped straight into it. "I have a plan to get me and this baby out of Chicago alive. But I need all of your help to pull it off."

"Why, so do we. Why don't you have a seat and we can compare notes, _Zmeyette_?"

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Okay all, this AN is kind of important._

 _There will be another time jump next chapter to keep the story at a faster pace. I want to have this story completed by the time I leave for my Europe holiday, so I'll be hopefully updating at least a few times a week so this story should be completed by the end of next week!_

 _I've skipped a lot of time during Rose's pregnancy, but that's mainly due to the fact I have struggled immensely with writing chapters of pure pregnancy fluff – I just can't do it. So I hope that the story doesn't appear to move too fast._

 _This story is about to get angsty, so an early warning._


	22. An Arrival

_**AN:**_ _I've had some Guest reviews that I have chosen not to post because I think they are just downright offensive to me._

 _This is a public platform and even though I am behind a pen name, that does not mean that I don't get offended or hurt by downright disgraceful reviews. I understand if you don't like the direction the story is going or what I have done with it, but it's my own story._

 _For the most recent Guest review I received, I really don't appreciate you telling me I'm going to 'ruin it for all my readers'. Every reader will have their own personal opinion and if you feel I have ruined it for you, I'm sorry but please don't tell me what other readers will think – that's their own place to like or hate the story._

 _I also have to say, not one single theory you listed is correct or something I would consider._

 _I'm trying to be as reasonable about this as possible, seeing as I'm an adult and can handle criticisms on my works, but any personal attacks are not appreciated._

* * *

 _ **Dimitri.**_

 ** _July 1925._** _(Twenty-Nine Weeks Pregnant)_

I didn't think that I would ever see Roza look more beautiful than she did right now.

She was six months pregnant and I could see that she was beginning to get uncomfortable of sorts. But she had taken to the pregnancy well and embraced all of it's up and downs. I guess deep down she _had_ been ready for this next step.

I was lying in between her legs, tracing the small silver stretchmarks that had shown up on the underside of her belly. She hated them and thought that it was her body betraying her but I couldn't disagree more.

They showed what her body had done, and the miracle it was providing us both with. I thought the stretchmarks were as beautiful as her.

I began tracing my finger along the underside of her belly, making her involuntarily shiver and chuckle under her breath. I had figured out quickly that there was one easy way to get a reaction out of our child, and that was when I danced my fingers over the delicate skin.

And sure enough, as Roza's body tremored with a soft laugh, a tiny foot pushed up near near my fingers. It was smaller than the pad of my thumb and it wasn't hard enough to make a real presence, but Roza winced as the child obviously tried pushing harder and harder.

I could tell she really didn't care. If anything, the smiles on both of our faces were enough evidence that this child was our whole world.

"Adrian thinks that we are having a girl," Roza murmured while resting her hand lightly on top of her navel.

"And what makes him say that?" I smiled while looking up at her from behind her belly. I knew Adrian thought we were having a girl – he professed it regularly at the club.

But Roza wasn't at the club much these days. She preferred to stay in the apartment. So I didn't want to spoil her story of Adrian and his 'predictions'.

"He says he "just knows". Bullshit I reckon. He's a fucking gypsy and he's taunting us," she laughed and I couldn't help but laugh with her. "He knows I want a boy and is trying to throw me off."

Adrian had been hinting the sex of the baby ever since we announced her pregnancy. Of course, there is no way to know until the birth, but that didn't bother us too much. Sure we both had a certain sex we were hoping for, but as long as our child was healthy, I knew that we both didn't care if we had a son or a daughter.

"I was talking to Ivan a while back…" Roza began and I quirked an eyebrow. There wasn't a damn thing Ivan knew about kids nor pregnant women. He better not have been giving her any flunky advice.

"About?" I pushed while I continued dancing my fingers over her belly.

"Names," she said with a brilliant smile. "I want to give our baby a Russian name."

My entire body warmed with happiness over her statement. I would have thought that she would pick something from her Turkish heritage but I felt honoured that she wanted to delve deeper into Russian culture.

"Why a Russian name, _milaya_?" I quizzed with an uncontrollable smile.

"Well, we are going to be living in Russia. Plus, there are some really nice names."

"It sounds like you have already picked the ones you like."

She nodded while capturing her bottom lip between her teeth. "Care to share?" I mused before placing a soft kiss on her stomach and lifting myself so that I was face to face with her. I supported all her weight and rolled us over so that she straddled me, giving us both direct access to the bulging belly.

"Sofya if it's a girl and Toma if it's a boy," she whispered with a smile.

I was shocked that Ivan hadn't given her names like his own. He had done exactly that when Sonja fell pregnant, telling her to name her child 'Ivan' if it was a boy and 'Ivanna' if it was a girl. He was promptly smacked around the ear by both my sister and me.

Sensing my silence, I could see Roza stiffen slightly above me. "What? Don't you like them?" she asked nervously before her usual bravado returned. "'Cause this baby is going to have your last name, so I should be able to pick her first name."

"Ah! So you do think it will be a girl!" I exclaimed happily. She knew that I would love a daughter and that I was hoping for one.

"Merely a slip of the tongue, Comrade," She grinned down at me and I rolled us again so that I hovered above her.

"Well slip of the tongue or not. I love the names."

I lowered my lips to her own, and it didn't take long before we were both a mess of tangled limbs and falling asleep. I could feel and hear Roza beside me fussing as I knew she had been having trouble sleeping these past few weeks.

But once I heard her breathing slow and she relaxed into the mattress I let myself also fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

I woke with a jolt to the sound of Roza crying out in pain. It didn't take any time at all for me to be fully awake and perceptive to both her and everything around us.

Immediately I reached out to her and spoke softly, " _Milaya_ , what's wrong?"

She didn't answer me, but I could hear her whimpers in the dark and the sniffles of her beginning to cry.

"No, It's too early," I heard her faintly mumble and she repeated the words over and over again.

"Roza…what's wrong?" I repeated with more urgency as I reached over and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. I couldn't handle listening to her in pain surrounded by the dark.

A look of confusion swept over her face and she stopped whimpering. "I-I don't know."

I watched hesitantly as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled herself to her feet. I rose onto my knees while watching her cautiously, ready to help her if she needed me to. I didn't take long before her legs gave out under her and she cried out again in pain.

I leapt into action and grabbed her under her arms, keeping her up and pulling her back to the bed so she could sit.

"We need to go to the hospital," she managed to say between gasps. "Something is wrong. I can feel it."

That was all I needed for me to jump into action. I leapt from the bed and began pulling on the slacks and dress shirt that I had worn last night, before grabbing a few of Roza's things for her.

" _Too early. This was too early; the baby isn't due for another three months or so. This is bad, this is so bad,_ " I growled furiously to myself in Russian before wrapping a jacket around Roza's shoulders and lifting her into my arms.

I practically sprinted out of the apartment, past Ivan and his company and not caring about leaving the door open or telling him where we were going.

"Too early, too early," Roza continued to mumble between sobs as I held her tighter to me, my heart breaking as she broke down in my arms.

I hailed the first yellow cab I saw and told him to go to the nearest hospital. I stroked back Roza's hair from her flustered face as she struggled with whatever pain she was feeling. She looked up at me, her tear-filled eyes wide with fear.

"Something isn't right, Dimitri," she gasped out. "This-this isn't the plan. This isn't meant to happen." Roza cried her last words, her face scrunching up in frustration and her tears began falling again.

I tried to keep my own fear off my face and console her. She didn't need to see how scared I really was. She didn't need to know that I feared for the life of our child tonight. I may not know a lot about pregnancies or delivering methods, but I knew that if a baby was born too prematurely, there wasn't a good chance of them surviving.

We were silent as we pulled up to the hospital and I handed over whatever notes where in my pocket at the time, not caring if I handed over too much, only that there was enough that the driver wouldn't stop me.

I took Roza in my arms again and rushed her through the lobby of the hospital until a very shocked looking doctor stopped us in our tracks- a Doctor who I recognised from months ago when we first rescued Roza and the one who had been following Rose's appointments – Doctor Olendzki.

"She's in pain!" I blurted out, my Russian accent thick and heavy in my desperation.

Doctor Olendzki looked at me curiously before glancing at Roza who only gave her a worried glance. She seemed just as shocked to see Roza as we were about being here this early.

"Let's get you set up in a room them," she commanded and ushered us both to follow her into an empty room.

As we walked through the hospital's hallways, I couldn't shake a sickening feeling beginning to overpower me. I didn't have a good feeling about tonight, I had a feeling that something was about to go seriously wrong.

A midwife or nurse joined Olendzki and they spoke hurriedly and anxiously a few steps ahead of us, but I didn't take any notice to what they were talking about. All I cared about was making sure that Roza was going to be okay.

Once we had found an empty room, Olendzki immediately pushed me out of the room, telling me she needed to examine Roza privately and investigate the possible early contractions. The midwife exited a few minutes later and scurried down the hall to the nurse's station.

Almost immediately after she left, Roza cried out in pain once again.

" _Fuck this,_ " I growled in Russian before barging back through the door.

I flew through it and went straight to Roza's side, gripping her hand and crouching beside her bed. Her eyes constantly flicked between Olendzki's and my own like she was battling something but I couldn't figure out what.

"You need to make a choice here, Rose," Doctor Olendzki breathed out hastily and Roza slumped back onto the pillow of the bed, still withering in pain.

I looked across at her in confusion, what decision did she have to make? Why did she look so pained while looking up at me?

"Milaya, what's…" I trailed off as I knelt next to her bed. She smiled weakly at me and brought a hand up to cup my cheek. I placed my own hand on top of it and searched her eyes for answers, but they didn't hold them.

The midwife entered the room again and we both turned to look at her, noticing her nod once at Olendzki and then stand by her side, looking towards us expectantly.

I looked back to Roza and she didn't seem so scared anymore, she looked like she had made a choice and she was coming to terms with it.

"I love you, Dimitri," she whispered with a smile on her face. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Roza, what are you talking about?" I managed to get out before she leaned forward and captured my lips with her own.

There was a sense of urgency in the kiss but I didn't question it, I only moulded my lips to fit with hers as always until we both needed to breathe.

"Say it," she whispered against my lips while looking at me through her eyelashes.

"I love you, Roza."

She smiled and sniffed lightly as a tear began running down her inflamed cheek before landing on the back of my hand. She pressed another quick kiss to my lips again and sat back into the bed before looking at Olendzki expectantly.

"Okay," she said strongly while squeezing my hand tightly.

Doctor Olendzki looked at the midwife warily before sighing and began ordering her.

"Prep her for caesarean and get lots of hot towels. Get Barbara in here as well," she grunted out while taking herself towards the small alcove in the corner.

I was beyond confused at this point. I didn't know what was about to happen nor what the fuss was all about. All I could see was Roza smiling at me as the midwife grabbed my forearm and began pulling me away from her.

"I'm sorry, Sir. But you need to wait outside," she gasped out and began pulling me towards the door.

I had nothing in me to fight her, only a feeling of dread as I watched Roza get further and further away from me. The last thing I saw before the midwife locked the door in my face was Roza and Doctor Olendzki discussing something animatedly.

* * *

Twenty minutes had passed, and I was burning a hole in the ground below me. I hadn't stopped my pacing since being kicked out of the room. I didn't know what was going on behind the door and it was killing me.

I couldn't help but worry about Roza's words. Why did they sound so much like a goodbye?

"Dimitri," Abe's unmistakable voice travelled through the hallway and brought me to attention, but not enough to halt my worried pacing.

"She's in there. They are doing something to her. She went into labour early or something, really early I guess but they aren't telling me everything. They said they were prepping her for a caesarean but it shouldn't be too long. It shouldn't be too long…" I trailed off, my words not making any sense to me anymore.

My fears were beginning to cloud my mind considerably. I could feel every bit of uncertainty creep into me and make me ramble more than I had ever done before. What were they doing to her? Why wasn't I allowed to be there for her? How did Abe know to be here?

"Dimitri, son," Abe tried again, trying to get my attention. The fact that he called me _son_ is what stopped me. He had only ever called me that a few times before, but the sympathy in his voice is what struck something in me and filled every available space in me with further dread.

"Do you understand what is happening in the room right now?" Abe asked me concerningly like I didn't know what Roza was going through.

I scoffed, "They are helping her."

Although as I said the words, I realised that I didn't believe them anymore.

Doctor Olendzki's pained expression and the flurry of action wasn't what I would consider normal. Roza's words had sounded more like a goodbye than anything and on top of that, and Abe looked ready to collapse right then and there.

"Son, if Rose is having a caesarean, it means that something had gone wrong. That there might be something wrong with the baby."

I blinked in shock, this wasn't what I had been expecting to hear. I had figured a caesarean was some sort of test or something to see what was wrong with the baby. I thought Abe had come to help alleviate my worries, not increase them.

Roza was in trouble and so was our child.

"What are they doing to her?" I breathed out softly.

Abe looked towards the closed door with heavy eyes before coming back to me. "Caesarean is a medical procedure to help the delivery of a baby. Rose is probably having an early but obstructed birth of sorts. The child wouldn't be ready to be born yet. But if there is something wrong and they don't perform the caesarean, then both her and baby are likely to die. They are trying to give them both some kind of a chance."

"A chance?" I whispered while clenching my fists. A chance wasn't good enough. "A chance!" I yelled this time; my anger reaching boiling point and began running over me. I felt my entire body alight with rage and many bystanders flinched at my harsh tone.

"What do you mean 'a chance'?" I growled.

"A caesarean is a dangerous and life-threatening procedure. It's delicate, but it can save one if not both the lives involved."

"You're telling me that Roza could die in that room tonight?"

The air between us crackled with tension as I fumed and he took the brunt of it. I knew he didn't deserve it but there was no one else here that I could take it out on.

"Unfortunately yes."

I sunk down into one of the chairs and held my head in my hands. We were so close, so close to having everything that we wanted. We were building a family and would be returning to Russia. We had almost everything and now it all threatened to be ripped away from me.

I could lose the two most important things in my life tonight. Roza had been through so much, she deserved to have everything go right for her, not like this. _Not_ like this.

"What are you doing here?" I asked removing my hands from my face and looking up at him still standing.

Abe looked taken back from my bluntness but quickly recovered. "My daughter is in the hospital. Why wouldn't I be here?"

"Well, yes – but how did you _know_ she was in the hospital?"

Abe looked flustered for a second, speechless even, but once again, he quickly recovered. "Ivan. He gave me a call."

I nodded in acceptance and returned my hands to my face, burying myself deep into my own palms.

I felt Abe sit in the chair next to me and lean back quietly. He didn't say anything, but for some reason, his presence was becoming comforting. Our shared fear for losing the ones we loved was overwhelming and we were both on edge.

As I stared at the closed door, I tried to think back and remember where I had heard the term caesarean before. The word sounded familiar to me, and even made me feel a little nauseous while thinking about it.

I felt the whole world come crashing down to me when I remembered where I had heard the Russian equivalent of the word. I had been visiting my hometown when the woman living next door went into labour and my mother went over to help. My mother mentioned something similar to what Abe said.

My mother's neighbour refused to let her child die in her womb, so she sacrificed her own life so that the child could live. They ended up having to remove the baby…surgically. Slicing into a woman with no anaesthetics had ultimately made her go into shock and she had died in the end.

I remembered to this day, standing in the doorway to the bathroom while my mother scrubbed violently at the blood staining her arms. She cried as she talked about how the woman gave up her life for her child, and that she watched her neighbour die in front of her.

The surgery was not controllable and women who opted for it, generally knew that they wouldn't come out of it alive, especially in this day and age.

Roza _had_ been saying goodbye. She didn't think that she would make it and with the amount of time passing and no word from the Doctor or midwife, I didn't feel too good about her chances either.

* * *

The door to Roza's room opened slightly and Olendzki slinked herself through the small gap between the door and the wall. I tried to look past her and into the room but I couldn't see anything past the pulled curtain.

I jumped up upon seeing her, anxiously awaiting her to tell me that my fears were wrong and that Roza was in there waiting for me. She had to be. She wouldn't leave me.

"I'm sorry, Mr Belikov, Mr Mazur. But Rose and child both did not survive. The child was too premature to breathe on its own, and Miss Hathaway's body couldn't hold the stress the procedure put her under."

I closed my eyes and shook my head furiously, refusing to believe that this was the end for them. I couldn't imagine a world where I didn't have Roza beside me, I refused to believe this was the final chapter in our story.

The anguish of her words surged through every single cell in my body and I felt tears begin to well in my eyes, but I refused to cry. I refused to let the grief win. She wasn't gone. She couldn't be.

I'd never experienced true grief before, I'd only had small snippets that faded within moments. When I took my father's life, I felt no grief or guilt. When I thought my mother was dead, I had been in such a fit of rage that hadn't given my body a chance to grieve. When I took the life of someone who may not necessarily deserve it, I felt a glimmer of guilt but I didn't let it consume me.

But as I listened to the Doctor tell me that my Roza hadn't been able to hold on, I felt the grief finally consume me. I felt it take every shred of hope and happiness I had in me. I felt it rip me apart and leave nothing to help hold myself together.

It came in waves as it crashed into me, stealing my breath and my control. Each time I thought of what I had lost it would return, threatening to drown me.

I wanted to let it drown me, but something ignited in me and I lunged for the door behind the doctor. Sensing my move, Doctor Olendzki threw her entire body in front of the door but it didn't matter, as I soon had three sets of hands holding me back.

"Let fucking go of me!" I roared to my captors while still attempting to pull my body free of their grips. "She needs me!"

Olendzki's shocked and even slightly scared features turned docile and sympathetic as she searched my pain filled eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir. But I can't let you into the room."

My chest heaved and my hands shook. This wasn't happening.

"Why can't I see her?" I breathed, my voice wavering as I tried to hold back my tears if possible.

"Because that shouldn't be the last memory you have of her. Remember her how she was," she said firmly but sympathetically.

I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. The procedure had taken Roza's life and it was most likely worse than any torture I had inflicted before.

My muscles relaxed and my temper began deflating rapidly. Abe let go of his hold on me and my other captures followed. I glanced around to see Pavel who looked extremely wary of my anger, but also Kadir who looked just as upset as anything.

I had forgotten briefly that they both had known Rose since she was born; she was just as much of a daughter to Pavel as she was to Abe. I nodded in acknowledgement to the Doctor and she gave me a final sad smile before turning to re-enter the room. Seeing her turn, I remembered something that I had been waiting for and I would kick myself for the rest of my life if I didn't know.

"Wait, Doctor Olendzki!" I took a step forward while calling out to her.

She turned without hesitation and paused for me to continue.

"The baby," I began softly. "Was it…" I trailed off, feeling my unshed tears begin to break through.

The Doctor smiled warmly in understanding, "A girl, Mr Belikov. The child was a girl."

I could feel a lump in my throat as I watched her finally return into the confines of the room and lock the door once again. I couldn't tear my gaze from the wooden door that my beloved laid lifelessly behind. My entire body screamed at me to go to her but I had succumbed to my fear and I was stood frozen.

I let the waves in now, I didn't try to fight them. I let them work on pulling me under and further into a numb oblivion, a hollowness that threatened to engulf my mind, body, and soul.

Let it.

I'd promised Abe that I would put her life before mine always and that I would lay down my life if it meant saving hers. But this was different. I couldn't take her place or save her this time.

I guess no matter how hard we wanted it or how hard we worked for it, we can't all have a happy ending.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Okay guys, this chapter was really hard to write. But it was actually the first chapter that I wrote for this story and eventually led me to write around it._

 _I'm expecting to get a heap of hate from like 99% of you all, but please don't be too harsh. Any guest reviews I receive that I deem as too distasteful/abusive, I won't be posting._

 _The idea for this entire story came to me while reading Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (which I highly recommend as well). Anyone who has read the book would also recognise that the book inspires the final words of this chapter._

 _There are a few more chapters to come but don't fret as there are still some important scenes and moments to come._ _ **(I hope you stick around for the finale, it will be worth it. I PROMISE)**_

 _-RCap_


	23. A Loss

**_July 1925._**

A girl.

I had a daughter.

A daughter that I would never get to see grow up.

A daughter that would never get to take her first steps or say her first words. I wouldn't be able to hold her or comfort her, nor ensure that she would have the best life possible.

But I didn't just lose my daughter tonight; I also lost the love of my life and the mother of my child. I lost everything important to me in a matter of seconds.

* * *

I burst through the entrance to my apartment, not caring if I broke anything while slamming it closed again behind me. My eyes landed on a bottle of vodka with glasses placed on either side of it on the small table in front of the couch.

I didn't hesitate in stalking towards it and swiping up the unopened bottle before maneuvering around the couch. I looked up and met the eyes of a very scared looking young woman. I glanced back at the two glasses on the table and scowled.

In our haste to get out of the apartment almost two hours ago, I had noted that there was a woman here in Ivan's company. The blonde looked up at me with frightened large blue eyes and touched her shortly cropped blonde hair nervously.

There was something about her that unnerved me, something that made her look foreign to me. I concluded that it was merely the short hair as almost all the dancers from the club had yet to succumb to the current trends, therefore I was usually surrounded by long-haired beauties.

"Dimka? Is that you?" I heard Ivan call from the kitchen. I cringed and the pit of my stomach flipped at the thought of him quizzing me on tonight. Suddenly I didn't feel all that bad about taking the bottle for myself. I needed it more than he did right now.

I glared murderously down at the woman, her eyes widening further in fright before I turned and headed for the solitary of my own room. I hoped that the slamming of my own door would be enough of a hint for him to leave me alone. He had been here when Roza and I had left for the hospital and it was common knowledge that labours and giving birth were not quick errands.

I cracked the seal of the bottle and took a large swig out of it, grimacing slightly at the first taste but falling quickly into the burning spell it cast me under. I could faintly hear the conversation going on down the hall but could only pick up on little specks.

"…long hair…scary guy," a girl's voice came through muffled.

"…his girlfriend…pregnant…shit," was all I could hear of Ivan's response, not that it made any sense.

Within minutes I heard the front door close and I thought that he had decided to not torture me with whatever extracurricular plans the two of them had planned, but soon after the sound of his heavy footsteps came closer and closer to my door.

I brought the bottle to my mouth again and found myself gulping down the poison like water. I thanked the heavens that Ivan didn't make any attempts to enter the room or knock. But he would walk away and the return minutes later, almost as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to risk interrupting me.

The fear seemed to eventually win out and I didn't hear him approach my door again, and as I sunk further into an oblivion of alcohol, I felt all my worries drift away from me and blackness overcome me.

Is this what it was like for her?

Just an eventual darkness that trapped her and refused to let her go?

* * *

My eyes snapped open to more darkness, it was long into the night now and I groaned as I rubbed my throbbing temples. I could still feel the effect that my drinking had had, but I could also feel something weighing down the side of the mattress next to me.

I squinted to try and determine who it was beside me in the bed, but I couldn't see clearly enough. I scooted closer to the body and was overcome with the vanilla scent that I had come to attribute to Roza. I smiled fondly and hazily before wrapping my arm tightly around her cold body.

 _Cold?_

My entire body locked up and I tried to peel my hands away from her body but something kept me latched to her. I could feel the fear begin to bubble within me and a tightening in my chest as the cold radiating from her unmoving body began to seep further into my skin.

I tried again to pull away with more force and I was unexpectedly released, but as my hand dragged over her stomach I could feel my arm become wet and slick, something warm began flowing and I instantly recoiled.

I flinched back and found myself tumbling off the bed and hitting the floor beneath me hard. I reached blindly towards the switch for the light on my nightstand and when I finally found the damned thing, I glanced around the newly illuminated room but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Roza wasn't in my bed and my room was still empty, but I couldn't shake the fear from deep inside me. Something still wasn't right.

I went to rub my face with my hands but froze just before I made the connection. My focus now full on the red substance that covered my forearms and hands.

I stared at the unknown liquid until I established that it was blood. All the hairs on my body stood to attention and I felt my insides churn with the new metallic smell tarnishing my senses.

I glanced up from my bloodied hands and saw Roza kneeling on my bed and staring curiously down at me on the floor. She was dressed in only her black brassiere and matching panties, her toned stomach on display to me with not a trace of her pregnancy in sight.

"Dimitri?" she questioned softly, cocking her head to the side slightly as if she was confused to see me.

"Roza?" I whispered, looking back down at my blood-covered hands. Where had the blood come from if not Roza?

"Dimitri!" she yelled this time, jarring me violently out of my worries.

My head jerked up so quickly that it threatened to snap my neck and I could feel every fibre of my being be stolen away from me as I looked up at her. Her eyes were filled with tears and a look of pure horror was etched onto her face.

This expression was so different from what it had been seconds before. I sat forwards slightly, ready to spring into action and protect her if she needed me.

I let my gaze fall to where she was now clutching at her abdomen. I felt sick as she slowly peeled her hands away to revealing more blood. But not just traces of it, the blood was thick and flowing rapidly over her panties and then down her bare thighs before pooling on the mattress around her knees. I searched for where the blood was coming from and quickly noticed the deep and jagged wound just above her panties.

Her caesarean wound.

"Dimitri!" she cried out again and I scrambled up from my place on the floor before flying towards her.

I hit something hard just before reaching her, almost a wall of some kind that now separated us. I beat my fists against the invisible force, trying to force my way to her, but I couldn't. It wouldn't let me help her.

"Dimitri! Why won't you help me!" she cried again, clutching at her abdomen as tears fell down her cheeks.

"I'm trying, Roza! I'm trying!" I yelled back as I continued beating against the invisible wall, praying that it would break down for me.

But then I understood. I understood that there wasn't anything I could do to save her. It had already happened. The wall wouldn't let me past and I was forced to watch what had happened to her.

I couldn't go back in time and save her. She was already gone and I would see it happen as I was saved from it back at the hospital.

I sat back on my heels, my mouth partly agape and watching in horror as the life poured out of her.

"Dimitri! Dimitri! Dimitri!" She yelled over and over again, her voice only getting louder as she yelled. I eventually brought my blood-covered hands to my ears, trying to block out the sound of her cries and I squeezed my eyes shut tight.

I found myself rocking slowly as I tried to wish away the pain of listening to this. My world spun and I felt all the guilt of what had happened to Roza. It was my fault she died. We were stupid and in love but I should have been more careful. If she hadn't of gotten pregnant, she never would have gone into an early labour and eventually died.

She was gone and she wasn't coming back.

That was all that my mind could process at that point. I rocked with my ears covered and eyes shut while the words ' _she's gone'_ echoed through me to the point I began whispering them to myself. No matter what I did to block out the sounds around me, I could only hear the cries of a very real labour and her screaming my name in front of me.

It was all beginning to be too much.

"Dimitri!" a voice yelled again, but this time it wasn't Roza's. It was a male voice.

My eyes snapped open and I was met with morning sunlight and the sea blue eyes of Ivan. I jerked back at his proximity and felt a wetness begin to seep into my slacks that I must have slept in.

I jerked again and looked at my bed sheets that were soaking wet. A bottle of vodka rested on the mattress with only a smidge of alcohol left in it and I groaned at the relevance my wet sheets would have had to my dream.

It had all been a dream. But as I stared at my clean hands, I couldn't shake the memory of them being stained with Roza's blood nor Roza bleeding to death on my bed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to relieve myself of my mental torture. "What is it, Ivan?" I muttered softly.

"Abe is here to see you," he responded quietly. He looked down at me with a sad look in his eyes but didn't say anything more. He may not have known last night what had happened, but he would surely know by now, especially if Abe was here.

I sighed deeply before nodding and heaving myself off the bed. I changed out of my vodka-soaked slacks and into a pair of grey sweatpants and black singlet. I didn't want to appear weak in front of Abe, but I believed that I had earned a reprieve after last night.

I padded out to the sitting room and found Ivan lingering awkwardly by the doorway while Abe sat at one of our couches, glancing around the room almost uncomfortably.

Seeing him look so out of place was oddly comforting. Everything about Abe screamed power and confidence and he was anything but those sitting before me. There was a pain in his eyes but something else that I couldn't distinguish like he was hiding something.

I stopped at the doorway and stared as he continued to look around the sitting room. I could feel the tension in the room ramp up and so did Abe apparently because he quickly found my eye line. He smiled sadly upon seeing me and stood up, "Son."

It was all he said but I didn't need anything more. I moved from the doorway and began closing the distance between us. I went to shake his hand but in a very uncharacteristic move for him, he bypassed the gesture and instead enveloped me in a hug. I returned it without a second thought.

It wasn't something that I thought I needed, but it turns out it was very well needed. He gripped me as hard as I gripped him; both of us settling our heads in the other's neck in a comforting gesture. I could feel a tug of emotions the hug brought on, but despite feeling that I earned the right to express those; I couldn't bring myself to do so in front of Abe.

He had also lost Roza and… _Sofya_ …last night.

That was the first time I had referred to my daughter as anything but just a child. From the moment the Doctor told me about my daughter, I hadn't associated her with the name Roza has chosen for her, it would only make it worse. It would only make the pain worse.

A sniffle escaped me and I pushed myself away from Abe. That was enough for me.

"You may want to sit," Abe coaxed while moving away from me and back towards the couch he had stood from. I watched him sit and lean forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees and then intertwining his fingers before resting his chin on them.

I emotionlessly sat down on the couch opposite him and we just seemed to stare at one another, neither of us being able to find any words to say.

After a deep breath, he finally looked up. I could see the pain in his face that didn't reach his eyes. He didn't want to appear weak but Roza was the last of his family. He had told me months ago that he didn't want to bury his daughter like he did his wife, but he would have to anyway now.

We didn't have anyone to blame for her death either. We couldn't hate anyone for taking her from us or take revenge on the murderer. She died while trying to save our daughter. She sacrificed herself for Sofya.

"Pavel, Kadir and I are going to be returning to Turkey," he said abruptly, the words seemingly falling from his lips like he couldn't stop them.

I nodded slowly, taking in his words, and understanding exactly why.

"There isn't anything left for us here anymore."

"What about the club?" I asked automatically.

"We are trusting it in the hands of Ivashkov. He knows the business and I have no worries that he will keep it afloat for us."

The room was silent for a few seconds and I could see that Abe wanted to add more, so I stayed quiet and waited for him to say what he wanted when he was ready.

He cleaned his throat and cracked his neck before continuing. "I'm going to be taking my daughter and…granddaughter…with me and they will be buried with family," he said cautiously, trying to gauge what reaction I would have. I could see he wasn't sure if I would lash out or accept his decision.

I lowered my head into my hands, not wanting to show my still fresh grief in front of Abe nor the effect that not having immediate access to their resting places had on me. It pained me more than I would care to admit that I would be so far from them, but in the end, I didn't want to separate the bodies of mother and child and Abe deserved to have his daughter close to him.

"You should return home as well, son. Regroup. Your family will be waiting to see you."

I looked back up to meet his eyes and couldn't miss the hint of persuasion in his voice, like he was trying to somehow compel me into doing what he said. Why did I feel like he was trying to push me out of Chicago?

At first, I was appalled at his blatant attempt at making me move on from this city, but as I glowered across at him, I could see the pain in his eyes that would be exactly replicated in my own. Would it be possible that he was only trying to help me?

"I'll consider it," I mumbled.

* * *

 ** _October 1925._**

The entire atmosphere of the club had been horrible in the past two months. After Abe, Pavel and Kadir had left to return to Turkey, the entire club had seemed to fall into a state of reluctance. And while the dancers would still dance their hearts out and the nights were still an extravagant display of talent, the memory that one of their own had been taken from them never left them.

The solidarity of using Abe's office in his absence had been welcoming. I felt as if lately everyone had been walking around me on eggshells and making sure they didn't do anything to upset me; the damaged Russian.

It was infuriating and constricting. I didn't need to be babied during my grieving; it would be easier if those around me treated me as they had beforehand.

A knock on the door to the office interrupted me and I looked up to see a conflicted looking Tasha standing at the entrance.

In the past year or so, I had seen many different sides to Tasha, probably more than I would have liked to as well. I saw her suggestive side when we first met while also her jealous side when I rejected her. But I also saw her kind side like when she helped Roza cover the bruises Jesse had inflicted on her or when Roza's death was freshly announced.

"Is everything okay, Tasha?" I grunted, looking back down at the paperwork in front of me.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing? It's been a tough couple of months," she mumbled taking a tentative step into the office.

"Do you want the truth or the show story?" I laughed humourlessly.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Dimitri," she began and I looked back up to see her close the office door behind her.

I arched an eyebrow and sat back in my chair curiously. Was this the moment that she would try to take what hadn't been hers?

"I heard Ivan and Anton talking this morning," she mumbled sheepishly and my entire body stiffened.

I forgot that she had somehow managed to tame Anton and begin an actual relationship with the brute. She would have been at the apartment this morning and those boys talked about all kinds of things.

"I know how hard it is to lose someone that you love, and I know how hard it is to come to terms with the fact that they are _actually_ gone." She took a deep breath, holding back tears that were beginning to brim in those blue eyes.

"My fiancée, Vinh, died during the war. But because we were yet to be married, no one informed me. I went years thinking he was still alive and he would come back to me, but he never did."

I closed my eyes and let out a heavy breath before speaking, "Tasha, I'm sorry-"

"I'm not telling you this for pity, Dimitri. I'm telling you this so that maybe you will deal better than I did. I went through a phase of extreme denial when I was eventually told of his death. I couldn't believe what they were telling me and I was on the brink of madness waiting for him to come home."

"I'm not in denial, Tasha. I know Roza and Sofya are gone. This isn't a fairy-tale where she will magically wake up. She bled to death on an operating table. She gave up her life for our child's, and yet she didn't make it either."

"If you're not in denial, then why are you still here?" she questioned and I couldn't answer her.

Maybe deep down I had stayed here so that I still had that connection to her. There was nothing of her in Russia, there was no remembrance of her in my home country. To be near something of hers, I would have to be in Turkey or stay here. I had thought hard about Abe's advice for me to return home, but I just couldn't bring myself to turn up at that front door without Roza and Sofya.

I shook my head and pushed away those thoughts. "Because I still have a job to do here, Tasha. Because, even though I found the love of my life here, I didn't come here with the intention of finding her. I came here with a job to do and until my own boss says otherwise, I'm stuck here."

"So you do want out then?" she quizzed, finally sitting down in the chair opposite me and staring blankly at me.

"Of course I want fucking out of here! I can't handle all the stares and whispers of pity as people walk past me. I can't handle seeing her dressing table each time I walk out of this fucking office and I can't even sleep in my own bed without having nightmares of her dying beside me!"

"Then do something about it, Dimitri," she whispered despite my yelling. "You have so much damn emotion that you aren't expressing. You've retreated into a shell of who you were when she was still alive. She wouldn't want you to live out your life here if you hated it."

"How dare you-" I seethed, but not able to get all my words out.

"Go home, Dimitri!" she interrupted. "Go back to Russia and be the man that she made you out to be. Show her that you can live life for the both of you. If anything, that's what Vinh's death taught me. I'm not asking you to move on and forget her, but at least don't wallow in self-pity. I've known you for not even a year and even I can tell that you aren't that kind of man."

I was left speechless after her words. I couldn't formulate a single word back to her. I couldn't yell at her, I couldn't thank her and I couldn't say she was right. I watched her with wide eyes as she stood from the chair and retreated back out of the office.

I guess that's what gave me the final push to finally sit there and write to my own boss back in Novosibirsk. My pen flourished against the paper hastily as I tried to get the words out without waiting to think about them.

 _Vadim,_

 _Please accept this letter as a written request for I, Dimitri Belikov, to return to Russia and continue under your direct command in Novosibirsk. While I have greatly appreciated the opportunity that you have provided me with here in Chicago, I feel as if I need to return to my home after the death of my significant other and the child we had together._

 _I have been affected greatly by their deaths and feel that I need the support of my family during this time. If it is not too bold of me to say, I would like to put forward the name of my most loyal soldier, Ivan Zeklos, to take over my position._

 _Ivan has served me for many years and I trust that he would endeavour to uphold our work here and would retain all working relationships._

 _I look forward to your reply on the matter and hope things are well in your own household._

I signed the letter and folded it gently into the pre-addressed envelope. I hoped greatly that me leaving would be a good choice and that I would never have to return here.

There were just too many memories here for my liking.

* * *

 ** _November 1925._**

I didn't hear back from Vadim until the end of November and as those weeks had gone by, I had begun to think that he had completely disregarded my request. Abe and Tasha had both been right, there wasn't anything left for me here, and staying here would only be a torture on my part.

I had still situated myself in Abe's office. Adrian seemed to prefer the more hands-on approach than Abe did. He stayed behind the bar where he could see everything throughout the night so that's why I found it odd for him to be approaching me in the middle of business hours.

"This came for you," he mumbled out at the entrance to the office. I glanced up at him to see him holding an envelope between his fingers. "The boys brought it back from getting the shipment."

I could feel the nervousness in his voice as he spoke and in the corner of my eye, I could see Ivan stiffen on the leather couch. We both knew whom the letter would be from and it would either say that he agreed and would send for me or tell me to fuck off and do my job. I was hoping wholeheartedly for the former.

I nodded as Adrian made his way slowly into the office before placing the envelope into my hands. I let my eyes trace over the writing of my name that was so familiar and while I gazed over the writing, I scolded myself for thinking that Vadim would reject my request.

Vadim had been the one to bring me in after I was released. He taught me how to protect my family and he kept me by his side for all those years. Who was I to think that he wouldn't continue to care for me as he always had?

I tore the seal open and pulled out the letter, taking a deep breath and even noticing Ivan standing and coming closer to me.

I scanned over the contents of the letter, but regretfully skipped the words of condolences that he offered. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate them; it was that I didn't want to rehash wounds that I was trying desperately to close.

"So?" Adrian asked warily. "What did he say?"

I looked up from the Cyrillic letter and glanced between the two men standing on the opposite side of the desk. Both looked eager to know the contents of the letter, but also nervous as too what the words would result in.

"I have to get my affairs in order here and be on the next boat home." I couldn't believe the words as I spoke them. He was granting me return to Russia.

Ivan took a step forwards and searched my features; I knew what he wanted to know. He wanted to know if Vadim would be sending a replacement or accepting Ivan as an acceptable replacement.

In all the years I had known Ivan, all he wanted to do was prove himself to those in charge and now he would have the chance.

"You'll be taking over, Ivan," I smiled warmly at him and I could see his entire body sag with relief before his own smile took over.

I had been watching the boat schedules since I first sent off the letter to Vadim so I knew exactly when the next boat would be. Three days. In three days I would be on my way home and I couldn't be more ecstatic to get out of this city of memories.

* * *

The club was quiet as I took my final walk through and everywhere I looked was an aching reminder of what I lost.

Roza was everywhere here. She was sitting at the bar when I first saw her and then on the bar where I had my way with her for the first time. She was on the theatre floor, mingling and charming all the men around her.

She was on the stage, making it hers and she danced and paraded herself like the fine prize she was. She was everywhere I looked and I couldn't escape those memories.

Hung on the wall near the bar was one of the most jaw dropping photos of her. It had been taken before everything had gone wrong.

She posed with her hands cupping the back of her neck, her left leg slanted against her right and pushing her hip out. She wore one of her more scandalous ensembles – one that showed off the curves that had brought men to their knees. Feathers surrounded her as a physical aura and pearls _dripped_ from her neck.

She had a beautiful smile on her face, one that Icouldn't help but trace with my finger.

I took a deep breath before heading into the dressing room, knowing that the worst of the memories would hit me there.

I walked over to her dressing table and sat in the unused seat as the onslaught of both bad and good memories began.

From Jesse's assault to her sitting on the table waiting for me. Everything came back to me like it had all happened yesterday. There wasn't a single memory that I missed.

I reached forward and brushed my hands over the cosmetics and perfumes that had lay untouched and collecting dust for the past few months, eventually landing on the photograph that was taken of us sitting in this exact spot.

She was five months pregnant and leaning against the dressing table while I sat in her chair, an arm around her waist and the other against her growing belly. I took the photo in my hands and slid it into my duster's pocket. I would _never_ forget my girls.

"You ready?" Ivan called out from the back entrance.

I could hear the loud rumbling of the car in the alleyway and took a deep breath just as Tasha came into the dressing room. She seemed flustered and, in a hurry, as she barged through the doors with corsets and costumes in her arms. I watched as she dumped them on the bench along the east wall and flicked her hair out of her face.

She did a quick check of the room and froze upon seeing me. I was surprised she saw me to begin with, I was sitting so still in Roza's chair that I could compare to a statue.

Roza had always said that I could win a staring competition with a statue.

I stood from the chair as she me a curious look. I bent down and picked up the case beside me. "Thank you, Tasha."

Her features relaxed and she gave me a small half smile, "Take care of yourself, yeah?"

I nodded solemnly and turned to follow Ivan out of the back door. The door slammed behind us and I felt immediately cut off from everything that had happened here in the past year. Every good and every bad memory was like I had watched from a window and witnessed the aftermath.

It was painful, but that was life.

* * *

The docks were busy as the boat began loading. Families boarded and remaining people lingered waving to their departing loved ones. I should have been boarding myself, but I was far more interested in sharing a final cigarette with my best friend. It would be the last time I would see Ivan for a long time, if not ever.

"I wanted to thank you, Ivan," I smiled softly while crushing my cigarette butt under the toe of my shoe.

Ivan joined me with a curious look. "What for?"

"I never thanked you for calling Abe and getting him to the hospital. I don't know what I would have done if I had to tell Abe that Roza had died."

Ivan only shook his head and gave me a confused look, "I never called Abe though."

"What?"

"I didn't call Abe, Dimka. I don't know how he knew she was at the hospital. I didn't even know where you were going."

"Oh…" I trailed off while looking away and staring at the large boat docking in front of me.

If Ivan hadn't been the one to call Abe as he had said, how did Abe know to be at the hospital at that time?


	24. An Ambush

**_Author's Note:_**

 _I'm pleased to finally let all those who have also been following **Miss Mazur** , that the epilogue is finally up! (Only took me six months) But give it a read and let me know what you think xx_

 _ **Note** : Conversations for this chapter that are written in italics, will be the conversations that are spoken in Russian._

* * *

 ** _Baia, Russia._**

 ** _February 1926._**

There weren't many nights on the boat that I didn't dream of Roza and Sofya.

Even upon returning to Russia in late December, I had opted to stay in Novosibirsk with Vadim over the holiday period. I couldn't handle returning to my hometown at a time like Christmas and bringing nothing but my sorrow as gifts for my mother and sisters.

I stayed in Novosibirsk for the entirety of January and helped Vadim in doing some of his work. I could tell he wanted to be back in his own hometown to spend the holidays with his family, so when he asked if I could hold down the fort until February without him, I jumped into action.

It was nice to have the distraction of work. Back in Chicago, it didn't matter how much I threw myself into my duties. Everything still reminded me of Roza. But here, there was nothing that I could relate back to Roza. It kept me focused and made the month pass like a blur.

So I was a tad reluctant to be set on my way when Vadim returned. He practically forced me into the car that was waiting to take me to my hometown.

I didn't think that I would be back standing in front of my mother's house for a long time. I thought that Chicago was my last stop and that I would end up spending the rest of my days with Roza in the city.

But as it turned out, fate didn't plan it that way. Fate didn't see how bad we wanted it and how much we craved a life with each other. Fate was a bitch.

I rested a cold hand against the wooden fence of my childhood home and took many calming breaths. Breaths that came out as thick clouds in the plummeting temperatures. It was starting to get dark in the town, but the whiteness of the covered ground seemed to reflect and give another boost of light.

It was something I remembered fondly from my years growing up here before my incarceration, memories that I held close to me and looked back on regularly.

Six months ago, I dreamt that I would be returning here with Roza and our child in her arms. I dreamt that my mother would be able to help my beloved in her newfound parenthood as she didn't have her own mother to fill that role.

There was so much going for us, and at one point I had it all in my hands. I had the life I had only wished for after coming to terms with the notion that I wouldn't ever have it. I had a woman who I loved and who loved me. We had a child and family surrounding us for the last of our days. We had everything, and it was gone within a matter of minutes.

I could feel the fatigue from my three-week journey over water and then sleeping restlessly in the city begin to take effect. I hadn't slept in my childhood home in almost two decades. I didn't want to sleep under the same roof that the atrocities of my childhood had occurred under. But as I felt my exhaustion creep further up on me, I knew I had no choice.

There was no more avoiding it.

I pushed open the gate and winced, anticipating its usual noisy creak. But surprisingly, nothing came. It must have been oiled recently. I trudged my heavy feet through the thick snow. Eventually making it to the porch and pratically feeling the warmth that the house pushed out.

While there were a lot of horrid memories associated with this house, this was also the house where my two sisters brought up their young families. By this time my nieces and nephew were old enough that the house had seen more happiness than tragedy. But maybe that was just after I left, the tragedy following me through the rest of my life and waiting for the most opportune moment to strike me down.

I brought my hand up to the wooden door but I couldn't bring myself to knock. I didn't want to see the pleasure that mama would have from seeing me, turn into a pity when she realised I was alone. She was expecting me to bring a family with me, but she would only receive the broken remains of her son.

The flurry of Russian coming from inside the house is what gave me the final push to knock. The sounds of my mother and grandmother talking triggered longing in me to see their faces. My knuckles rapped quickly on the door and I rocked nervously back and forth on my heels as I heard my mother's footsteps begin approaching me.

What I wasn't expecting was to hear my mother begin talking in English as she unlocked the door. "Did you forget your key again, darling?"

The happiness and laughter in her voice shattered any eagerness I had to see her. I would ruin whatever delight she was feeling tonight with my arrival. I wanted to turn and run back down the porch, back down the road and simply write to her about my trials instead of telling her face to face.

But it was too late, the door opened to show my mother standing before me in all her glory. Her long hair was braided into a bun at the back of her head and had a clean apron wrapped around her toned body. She was just as I always remembered her. Her brown eyes were warm and welcoming, they didn't hold a shred of hatred in them.

"Dimka…" she breathed in slight shock of seeing me.

She didn't look past me like I expected her to though; she simply threw herself at me and wrapped her arms around the back of my neck in a tight embrace, one that I didn't delay in returning. I wrapped my strong arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground so that her legs dangled in the air.

" _You came home_ ," she mused in Russian into my neck, her breath coming out ragged as if she was holding back tears.

" _Of course I did, mama_ ," I whispered back, falling easily back into my Russian tongue. I briefly tightened my hold on her again before setting her back down on her feet. She stepped out of my embrace and grabbed a hold of my hand, tugging me into the warmth of the house and away from the blistering cold.

She continued to tug me down the hallways and towards the smells of my childhood. As we walked down the hallways I caught glimpses of this house still having young children living in it. There were a couple of cane baskets with clothing waiting to be folded in them, as well as the baby blankets and toys strewed on the floor of the sitting room.

I wasn't able to investigate fully as mama was still latched tightly to my hand.

She finally dragged me into the kitchen and into the waiting arms of my grandmother. Her strength for her age always surprised me as she wrapped her arms around my waist and brought herself close to me.

She was talking too fast and briskly that I couldn't even make out what she was saying; all that I could decipher was that ' _she_ would be glad to see me'. Whatever that meant.

I found myself getting lost in the affections of my mother and grandmother and looking around the kitchen that I remembered so fondly. My eyes rested on the bench where a drying rack had a few bottles resting upright on it and then falling to the space on the floor in front of the sink. The spot where I had found mama _that night_.

The imagery of her bleeding on the floor flashed briefly into my vision, but I quickly shook myself free of the memory and focused back on the embrace of my grandmother.

" _Sit, boy,_ " my grandmother grinned as she let me go and pointed to a chair at the rugged wood table against the wall.

As I sat down, my mother placed a mug of coffee as well as a shot of vodka at my hands. It was a custom that we all had vodka when a family member returns home after a long stretch of time away, but I wasn't in the celebrating mood. While I was happy to be home and see my family, that didn't mean I was going to toast the other half that hadn't made it this far.

" _What is this for, mama?"_

" _It's just to keep you warm, Dimka. It's a cold night out,_ " mama laughed nervously while glancing up at the clock near the stove. I narrowed my eyes slightly at the strange behaviour and brought the shot glass to my waiting lips.

" _Expecting someone, mama?_ " I asked cautiously, trying to gauge her reaction.

" _No, it's just getting late is all. How was your trip over water?_ "

I didn't miss the deflection in her words or the way that she wanted to change the subject. I didn't know if she was hiding something or not, but normally she wouldn't be doing such a good job of it.

I brushed off the thought and drank my vodka swiftly. Relishing in the burn it caused as the liquid travelled down my throat. After living in a country with Prohibition for almost a year, I was relieved to be home with the 'good stuff'. We may have imported Russian vodkas into the club, but it was never the stuff you saved for celebrations, it was the daily drinking vodkas that were brought over.

 _"I've actually been in the country since late December_ ," I mumbled, making my mother's caring face turn hard.

" _Why are we only just seeing you then_?" She gritted out.

" _Because I didn't want to return for the holidays without Roza and Sofya_ ," I whispered, hoping she wouldn't catch how close to breaking point I was.

But she didn't push for more information, she only gave me a sad smile and reached across the table to place her hand over my own.

" _Dimka, you were meant to be here for Christmas. We thought you would be home months ago_."

I wasn't sure if my mother had pieced together why Roza and Sofya hadn't accompanied me here, but I knew I needed to fill in those gaps sooner or later.

So when I began speaking of my girls, I could see the pain in her eyes as she listened to me recount their final hours.

Reliving those memories were almost worse than seeing my mother's body lying on the hardwood. At least my mother was still here with me, Roza and Sofya were not.

My mother and grandmother stayed deathly silent as I rehashed those early memories with Roza. It wasn't something I couldn't easily do either once I got to her final months. I could feel my sobs getting caught in my throat as I told my family how she had decided the name of our child, whether it was a boy or girl.

Much to my surprise, my mother didn't ask me what gender her grandchild had been nor the names we had chosen, but the glint in my grandmother's eye told me she had already known and her following words were proof of that.

I didn't like to think of my grandmother as a witch, but her 'dreams' were never wrong. If she dreamt it, it seemed to come to pass, and I had no doubt that she would have dreamt of Roza and Sofia long before I had even met Roza.

" _Your girls are closer than you think, Dimka. They will always be with you, even when they are not. Don't pity yourself, boy._ "

I was immediately angered by my grandmother's words. What was she trying to insinuate? That I had best move on from my loves and bring someone else into my life? I seriously doubted that that was what she was meaning, but it didn't stop me from taking it that way.

I caught my mother give my prophetic grandmother a deep glare at her words, almost chastising her silently for the dig. I thanked my mother mentally for her support but I would not accept those words as appropriate. Especially when it had been only mere months since their passing.

I felt my restraints snap as I stood quickly, the chair scraping loudly at the wooden floor underneath as my entire body recoiled her dismissal of my memories.

My memories with Roza began spilling from my mouth rapidly as I timelined our relationship for her. Starting with the moment I had first seen her sitting at the bar, seeing her light the cigarette and smile at something Adrian had said, but when she met my eyes it was as if I had felt my soul leave my body and into a cage for her to do with as she pleased.

I spoke of her assault and how one of my own men had both meant her harm at one point while later saving her from a horrible death. I told them about Abe's disapproval of us and how he believed I would be the death of her.

I told them how Nathan had used my beloved as a toy in a game, ultimately using her and my unborn child's life to taunt me. Eventually telling them of her rescue and our plan to return here where we would be safe from Nathan and our child could grow up surrounded by family.

That was all but a broken promise now. My daughter would not get to grow up surrounded by family nor would Roza and I be able to grow old together. I hadn't shed a tear since the doctor told me that they hadn't survived, but I could feel all those waiting tears begin to beat their way out.

When I had first met Roza, I knew that she would be my downfall, I didn't know how but it took me a year to realise that we were each other's downfall. Giving birth to our child had ultimately ended her life, and with her life gone, half of me had gone as well. The man she had built me up to be in the past year had crumbled back to normal if not worse.

It was sad that without her, I didn't feel like a leader anymore. I wanted to go back to be a right-hand man instead of the decision maker. I wasn't half the man I was now than when I was with her.

I breathed heavily trying to calm myself down, with my palms planted firmly against the dining table. My mother looked shocked at my words, for a split second I thought that she feared me but as I looked deeper, I could see that she was scared _for_ me.

She didn't like to see her son in so much pain, but there wasn't anything she could do that could mend this pain. I would always carry the thought of ' _what if_ ' with me. I would always carry the memory of what we almost had for the rest of my years.

I didn't know how much time I had left anyway, I had a dangerous line of work where men died regularly, maybe I'll be lucky and not have to wait too long to see my girls again.

My extremely morbid thoughts shocked me, when had I become someone who wished for death to come quickly? I wasn't someone who gave up on myself.

I shouldn't pity myself and I shouldn't be wishing my life away. Life was precious and brought many things, some of us aren't destined to live long lives or happy ones, maybe that is was I have been cursed with, a long but potentially lonely life.

I sighed deeply, restraining my inner demon and pushing away from the table. This was not what I needed right now. I wasn't in the right mindset to be making somewhat life-changing decisions.

I picked up my coffee mug and walked over the basin. I just wanted to get into an actual bed instead of crashing on another couch.

It was when the mug was fully submerged in the lingering soapy water that my eyes caught onto something sparkly in the windowsill. I cocked my head, looking more intently down at the ring. It looked all too familiar. The weave of small diamonds pressed into the silver band and then a larger diamond set in the centre.

It looked like the ring I had given Roza. But that was currently buried six-feet under dirt somewhere in Istanbul. The only logical explanation was that this was my mother's ring from when my father was alive.

Although she hadn't worn the ring since the day he died. So why would she start now?

I stopped my hand from reaching out to touch the ring, knowing it wasn't mine to touch. I turned away from it to face my mother and grandmother sitting at the small table.

" _If you don't mind, I want to retire for the night. I haven't had a decent nights sleep in months,_ " I muttered in defeat. I didn't like to show weakness, but in front of the women who raised me, I was powerless at concealing my emotions.

They knew every thought that coursed through my mind without me uttering a single word. But instead of allowing me to wallow in my grief in the confines of my old bedroom, my mother stopped me with a single sentence.

" _Actually, Dimka. Your room is otherwise...occupied at the moment."_

Occupied?

I knew that Paul had stayed in it before Karo married and then moved out, but that would have been over three years ago. There were enough rooms in the house that Sonja, Vika and Katya would all have their own rooms. So whom could my mother have possibly taken in as a charity case?

Before I had a chance to even ask my mother who had been staying in my room, the sound of keys and the front door clicking open jarred me.

Vika was home.

"We're home!" she called out, but something was off. She didn't sound like she used to, and since when did she speak in English under her own roof?

What threw me off even further was the giggle of a young child traveling down the hallway. The baby gurgling and the sound of two other voices chattering between themselves weren't what I expected.

Katya was too old to be gurgling like that, that was the sound of a much younger child. Surely my baby sister didn't have a child of her own already?

I glared around the table and as the footsteps got closer, their expressions became more anxious.

"Where is everyone?" the voice muttered, followed by a distinctly male voice responding to her.

The footsteps got closer and I switched between staring at my mother and grandmother. My mother looked caught between relieved and troubled. Whoever was approaching wasn't my sister and that scared my mother.

My grandmother was the complete opposite, her grin only widened as she mumbled her previous words again, " _They are closer than you think_."

The world around me seemed to slow and the approaching footsteps and voices became nothing but muffled sounds to my ears. I could hear them getting closer and closer and I turned to look back at the ring on the windowsill.

It wasn't my mother's ring.

The footsteps abruptly stopped at the doorway leading into the kitchen, the doorway only a few meters behind me.

The gurgling continued despite someone's breath being caught in their throat. I couldn't bring myself to turn and see the face of whom I knew would be behind me.

"You're home," she whispered breathlessly, and I couldn't stop the unconscious pull I had to the velvet voice.

I knew that voice anywhere and it was just as I had remembered it.

I finally turned, my eyes meeting two pairs of deep brown eyes and brown hair. The same features that of my lost love and child.

"Roza?"

"What took you so long, comrade?"


	25. An Explanation

**_Note:_** _I haven't had a chance to edit entirely, but I think I caught all errors._

* * *

 ** _Rose._**

 ** _The Royal Court. Chicago  
_** ** _May 1925_** _(Twenty-one Weeks Pregnant)_

 _"We need to talk, Old Man," I said closing the office door promptly behind me._

 _All three men looked up, not noticing my arrival prior to me closing the door. They all wore the same grin on their faces. They had been planning something, and I immediately wanted in on it._

 _My father sat back into his leather chair, the chair groaning under his weight while he weaved his fingers together on the desk._

 _"I believe we do, Kiz."_

 _I didn't hesitate. I just jumped straight into it. "I have a plan to get me and this baby out of Chicago alive. But I need all of your help to pull it off."_

 _"Why, so do we. Why don't you have a seat and we can compare notes, Zmeyette?"_

My father looked abnormally calm, his entire body relaxed and open for whatever he was expecting me to put before him. My father always seemed to be one step ahead of me always, and I believed wholeheartedly, that then was no exception to that.

"You know he threatened _our_ lives?" I murmured while unconsciously rubbing my bump. "He said that he would take us away from Dimitri just like I took Inna away from him."

My father didn't show any sign of emotion, but he would know who I was talking about. He glanced down slightly at my stomach where I was still holding my hand protectively over top. I knew that he hadn't been exactly _ecstatic_ about his only daughter being pregnant out of wedlock. It was extremely taboo even by our standards, and we were scantily clad dancers in a speakeasy.

He didn't say anything about being disappointed in me for this happening, but he knew that I wouldn't take back what was growing inside me, nor would I even consider it.

I quickly became impatient and annoyed at his silence. Why couldn't he just say something? Why did he have to be mysterious _all_ the time? My brows rose while I stared at him, waiting for him to comment on the threat, or comment on anything at all.

His eyes flicked away from my belly and back to me directly. "I didn't know _that_ actually, but it would explain why Dimitri wants to take you both to Russia before the baby is born now."

I blinked in shock. I didn't know about that. Why hadn't Dimitri talked to me about that? Then again, who was I to cause him of hiding things from me? I had been doing exactly that for months, and I wasn't about to make it any easier on us.

But I didn't have time to dwell. I needed to push on with the whole reason I was in my father's office to begin with.

"I don't want Nathan to follow us back there."

"And what makes you think he would follow you that far over the Atlantic, little girl?"

I scoffed at his dismissal. "Come on! Nathan is fucking insane and I doubt anything would stop him from wanting to end our lives. He won't rest until at least I'm dead. I ruined his life, he wants the same for me now."

"Is there something that is making you think that Dimitri will be unable to protect you and your child?"

"Of course not," I growled. "I have no doubts that Dimitri would lay down his life for us. But I don't want it to come to that and I don't want to take any chances. This time I'm not thinking about Dimitri and I'm not thinking about myself anymore. This is for my baby. I will put this child before _anyone_ and _anything_. Dimitri would understand that."

He considered my words for a few silent moments, searching my eyes and face before grinning wickedly and chuckling under his breath. "What have you been planning, kiz?"

They didn't call me _Zmeyette_ for no reason back in Istanbul. We were known as a family of snakes back home, each of us just as conniving as the next.

"It would take some bribes and forgery, but if we can lead Nathan and whatever followers he has left to believe I died, he would have no reason to chase a dead body."

My father's grin increased beyond what I thought was possible. I knew he would like the idea but it would just take a lot to execute it properly and without fault. He would have his questions, but I had already thought of every possible scenario for this to go askew.

"And the child?"

"Our child would also have to be pronounced dead. Otherwise, there is still a wheel for Nathan to follow."

"It's among your best plans, Rose. However, few women die during childbirth in this day and age. It may not hold without a further inquiry on the hospital." He thought he had me there, finding a hole in my plan and using it to challenge me.

I never backed down from a challenge though; I was my mother's daughter at the end of the day.

"They do with caesarean births," I said smiling sweetly.

I had done my research on the subject greatly. I'd picked the brain of the young midwife at the hospital during a check-up, scouring it for what she knew on caesarean births and their mortality rates.

She had looked as if she was about to drop then and there at my questions. She had immediately jumped to try and reassure me that everything was going well with my pregnancy, and I wouldn't require such a procedure.

But I didn't need reassurance. I needed information.

I eventually got it out of her that they wouldn't do the potentially fatal surgery unless the mother was already dead or not going to survive the birth anyway. If the mother didn't bleed to death on the table then and there, she would normally die of infection in the ongoing weeks or possibly days.

It was all I needed from her.

"Why haven't you discussed your _grand plan_ with your other half?" my father asked curiously.

I did have an answer for him, but it wasn't one that I was necessarily proud of. I didn't want to bring this amount of pain onto those around me, but it would be short-lived if I knew him well enough and hopefully not _too_ catastrophic.

"Dimitri's grief needs to be real," I sighed while looking down at my feet. "He can't know that we are still alive until he joins us. Grief is hard to fake, baba. You know that better than anyone, this needs to be as real as it can be."

My father's grin faltered entirely and his lips formed a hard and disapproving line. Being a father himself, I knew that he might openly object to what I had in mind once he found out it would require deceiving Dimitri. It would crush Dimitri emotionally to believe that I was dead. But I could only pray that he would be able to hold it together.

I wouldn't dare hold anything he did during our time of separation against him. I was bringing this on myself - but this was all for my child's life.

"You don't think it's cruel to put your fiancé through something like that?" my father asked with a grim look in his eyes.

Losing my mother had hit my father hard. It had damaged him more than he cared to admit. But to purposely place that kind of pain on someone who he now considered his family, was a big ask and would have to be executed cautiously and flawlessly.

We didn't know for sure exactly how Dimitri would take it no matter how delicately we executed it.

Would he self-destruct and lash out? Would he became numb and succumb to the darkness that our minds tried to pull us into during our most desperate times? We didn't know for sure.

"Where will you go?" he asked quietly as he started to piece together the different gears in my plan. It would take a lot of effort and grunt work, and most likely be emotionally tiring for everyone involved. But if it meant that we were safe for the rest of our lives, a few short months would be nothing.

"Still to Russia. I would like for Kadir to accompany me though. We can explain everything to Dimitri's mother when we arrive. I want you to push him to return home. Do whatever you need for him to leave Chicago and return to Russia."

My father cocked an eyebrow meticulously, "He will surely know something is wrong if he knows Kadir will be going to Russia," he said strongly, challenging me once more. "It's not exactly one of Kadir's regular haunts."

We went back and forth for almost an hour, planning how everything would fall around us. We planned how to get Kadir and me out of America without anyone knowing and then how to get Dimitri to follow without divulging the real reason. The most difficult thing to come to an agreement of was how we would tell Dimitri that I hadn't survived giving birth to our baby.

We mapped out an entire timing sequence of a premature labour and then getting to Baia before the birth. Hopefully, and only if our timeline worked, it meant that Dimitri would be back in Russia by the time I was ready to give birth.

I didn't want him to miss something as monumental as that.

* * *

 ** _Dimitri's Apartment  
_** _ **July 1925** (_ _Twenty-nine Weeks Pregnant)_

I woke up with a sharp intake of breath and quick sparks of pain in my stomach.

I clutched at my swollen belly as I waited for it to pass, but I was soon hit with another spike of pain that made me cry out and wake Dimitri instantly.

"Milaya, what's wrong?"

But I couldn't answer him. I could only think about how wrong this was going. I wasn't meant to give birth yet. It wasn't the plan.

"No, it's too early," I mumbled to myself, tears springing to my eyes as I saw my plan fall apart in front of me. "It's too early, it's too early," I repeated like a chant, a chant that would hopefully stop the contractions.

"Roza…what's wrong?" Dimitri repeated as he turned on the lamp on the nightstand.

"I-I don't know," I whimpered out once the pain dissolved, confused over how different contractions were than I had expected.

I expected them to be beyond painful and tormenting, but they felt like nothing more than uncomfortable pain, tolerable but they still hurt.

I swung my legs over the bed and went to stand up, only just catching onto the nightstand as the pain returned. I cried out again and Dimitri jumped into action, crawling over the bed, and preventing me from falling into a heap on the ground.

To hell with the plan, if this baby was coming now Dimitri would have to know about our plan. There wasn't another way around it.

"We need to go to the hospital," I gasped out as the pain stabbed at me consistently. "Something is wrong. I can feel it."

Surely this wasn't what labour was like?

Dimitri began speaking furiously in Russian, his words flying from his lips as he quickly dressed in his clothes from earlier in the night and wrapped one of his jackets around me. I didn't have a choice when he reached down and scooped me up into his arms as I began to feel tears stain my cheeks, not happy tears either this time.

I knew it was too early, I still had months until I was due and I was damned scared.

"Too early, too early," I kept muttering to myself as I blubbered in Dimitri's arms.

He ran out of his room and past where Ivan was sitting on the couch, not even giving him an explanation for our hasty departure. He tore onto the street where he hailed the closest Yellow Cab and directed him to the hospital.

"Something isn't right, Dimitri," I gasped out once the pain subsided again. "This-this isn't the plan. This isn't meant to happen." I cried as my tears began falling faster and harder than before.

Pure fear began racking my entire body and I could feel myself begin to shake. This wasn't how it was planned. I could feel my face contort with frustration and my tears were squeezed out, I sniffed and closed my eyes.

 _This wasn't how it's meant to go,_ I thought to myself as Dimitri tried his best to console me through the drive and then as we walked into the hospital. I caught the eye of Doctor Olendzki – the Doctor that my father had enlisted for our deception of the hospital system.

"She's in pain!" Dimitri exclaimed with a thick and heavy accent.

Olendzki looked at the both of us with recognition and I could see her posture change when she realised that it was _my_ fake death certificate that she would be signing.

"Let's get you set up in a room them," she said before ushering the both of us to follow further into the hospital. On the way to a room, she caught the eyes of a middle-aged woman who scurried to her side immediately. They spoke in hushed whispers and occasionally stole glances back at Dimitri and me.

Dimitri had only just placed me on top of the bed when he was suddenly being pushed out of the room.

"Mr Belikov, I'm going to need to wait outside while I do a quick examination to see about these possible early contractions," Olendzki said while glancing at Dimitri. He glanced back at me hesitantly before nodding and disappearing out of the door.

Doctor Olendzki looked back at me and asked me to lie back. I couldn't stop the sob the slipped through my lips as I hit the pillow and I couldn't hide how scared I was for my baby.

I held my breath as she quickly examined me. A million thoughts ran through my mind in those few minutes - thoughts that became like cancerous tumours to my sanity. What if there was something wrong with my baby?

The flood of worries I let into my mine were put to rest when I saw Olendzki's previously worried face switch to one of relief.

"Miss Hathaway, you aren't going into an early labour. You're just experiencing something we call Braxton Hicks or otherwise known as a false labour."

"What's that?" I mumbled out while lifting myself up onto my elbows.

"They are contractions that can be felt during the later months of pregnancy. Many women have them and I expected you to be no different, however when your partner said you were in serious pain I did get quite worried for you."

My entire body relaxed and I rested my head back against the pillow. I attempted to calm my erratic breathing and heart rate but I was so worked up that I could hear my blood pumping in my ears.

"I have been in pain though! They hurt like a bitch," I groaned.

"Yes, well it's different for every woman. I can give you something for that pain, but there is something else I want to discuss with you."

I looked up at him curiously before she elaborated. "As you know, I'm the doctor that your father… _hired_ …for your endeavour. I want to explain that there is a possibility for you to implement the plan now while _he_ believes you are going into labour."

"Now?" I whispered while my mind reeled with the fact that I hadn't explained anything to those I wanted to. I wasn't ready to say my temporary goodbye to Dimitri.

She nodded a couple of times before continuing. "We can call your father and tell him what's happening. Once we pronounce you dead and Dimitri has left the hospital, we can get you back to your father's house." I gaped but nodded blindly. "Dorothy, can you please go contact Mr Mazur."

My midwife nodded and scurried out of the room quickly.

I could hear the confliction in my doctor's voice. She was here to save lives, not pretend that people had died. But she was getting a big payout for her forgery, one that not even a doctor could have turned down.

Twenty minutes ago, I had decided mentally that I was going to tell Dimitri about the plan. If our baby was coming now, I wasn't going to hide his child from him when we were in the other room.

"I was going to tell him," I whispered, looking towards the closed door. "I was going to tell him everything. I don't think I can do this to him."

Doctor Olendzki gave me a sympathetic look. "Rose, if you were truly giving birth tonight, your baby wouldn't survive."

It was as if the world around me came crashing down. An earthquake could have levelled the city around me, and I wouldn't have noticed. If tonight hadn't of been a false alarm, it would have meant the death of my baby.

"Why not?" I asked quietly.

"When a baby is in the womb, their lungs fill with a type of fluid that helps them grow and develop. During a regular full-term labour, that said fluid would be absorbed so that the baby is able to breathe. But with you being only shy of about thirty weeks along, the baby's lungs aren't developed enough to make that switch. He or she wouldn't be able to breathe on their own."

Before I could respond to her, another stabbing pain ripped through my abdomen and I cried out without thinking.

Within seconds, Dimitri crashed through the door like death in a cowboy duster. He was my knight but I was about to rip his heart out.

* * *

 ** _Baia, Russia.  
_** ** _September 1925._**

The pain was something I wasn't prepared for at all. Suddenly I knew the difference between really going into labour and the false contractions that I was experiencing back in Chicago.

But what hurt more was that Dimitri wasn't here yet.

There was no one else left in Chicago that knew that I was still alive – there was no one there to kick him out. We had to just hope he'd arrived here soon.

I wished that Dimitri was here to hold my hand through this, but he wasn't. I'd hoped that he would have been, but it seemed Abe's pushing wasn't enough to get him out of Chicago. He was most likely in his apartment, drinking away his sorrows and dreaming that I was still alive.

How could I have been so cruel and stupid? How could I have done this to Dimitri even though I had my child's life in my thoughts? Dimitri was still a person, and someone important to me at that.

Having Dimitri's youngest sister there was a blessing, and at that moment, she was my Dimitri. She didn't so much as yelp when I gripped her hand so tight that I was scared it would break. Nor did she falter in making sure that I knew I would get through this.

I didn't really know what pain was worse honestly. The pain of labour or the pain of knowing Dimitri thought I was lying in a casket somewhere.

I had to push those thoughts away at this time though. I needed to stay focused during this and make sure that I would be able to deliver my child.

Vika stacked pillows behind my back and neck while I cried and groaned in pain. While I didn't think that I would be giving birth to my child on the bed I slept in and that Dimitri had slept in as a child, it was better than having Nathan take away everything we had gained.

The Belikov women were my midwives as they worked at keeping me clean and comfortable while I gave birth. The spoke mainly in English around me, but I still caught Vika muttering Russian prayers beside me.

Childbirth was dangerous no matter what. I had no anesthetics and no concept of what was considered 'wrong'.

When the room was filled only with the cries of a newborn baby and my pained gasps, I knew that I had done it. I was exhausted both mentally and physically but my baby was safe and alive. Olena only told me what I already knew, confirming that I had a daughter being placed into my arms.

I knew that Dimitri and Adrian had been right all along. I knew that the child growing in me would be a girl - a mini-me just as he had wished.

I didn't even register that my baby was covered in blood and other fluids. All I cared about was the feel of her hot skin against my chest. I couldn't stop the tears as they feel free from my eyes. All I could do was stroke her damp and dark hair – hair that I knew would be thick and brown just like Dimitri's and my own.

When she had quietened down, Olena took her back so that she could clean her up a bit. "We will see what we can do about getting her to accept some milk as well. How does that sound?"

I nodded without thinking. I'd do anything Olena asked just to be able to hold her again.

In no time, she was back in my arms as Olena helped me breastfeed for the first time. After a few laughs and annoyed sighs, my daughter latched on and I could see she didn't have any intention of letting go.

I looked down at the small baby in my arms, my tears coming back as I looked into the deep brown eyes that were caught between my own and Dimitri's.

She was perfect.

She was our Sofya.

* * *

 ** _February 1926._**

Kadir and I trudged through the fresh layer of snow that covered the path leading back to the house. He had cleared this for us early this afternoon before seeing a paediatrician in town, but it had already been covered once again in a fresh blanket.

Olena had appreciated having Kadir around to help significantly these past months. He was an extra set of hands that could do things that we women just couldn't do, unfortunately. Small things that creaked or leaked were fixed and Kadir found more that he could do to provide maintenance help.

We made our way up the porch and unlocked the door entering the warm but unusually quiet house.

"We're home!" I called out into the house but got no response back.

My mind bounced with theories of where everyone was, but I focused myself on unwrapping the warm bonds that had protected my five-month-old daughter from the harsh cold and winds outside. In this weather, the best thing for me to do was to bind her to my chest.

It had taken some practice, but eventually, I was able to ensure that Sofya wouldn't fall out of the bottom. She giggled happily as she came back into view, her gurgling filling me with so much happiness that I felt ready to burst.

I cooed easily back at her while I pulled on the final tie that had her pressed flush against my chest. In the past five months, she had already grown so much more than I had expected. She had a full head of thick brown hair and endless brown eyes framed with long dark lashes that I got lost in daily.

When I had first met Dimitri, I hadn't known what I was getting into as I began falling in love with him. But I knew that I would have done anything for him.

However, after looking into the eyes of my baby girl, there was something different there. She was part of me. She had a piece of me with her at all time, and me, her. She _was_ me and I would do everything in my power to ensure that she would never have any harm come to her.

"Where is everyone?" I asked Kadir softly.

"I have no idea. Perhaps they went to the market?"

I shrugged while carrying a gurgling Sofya closer to the kitchen. She would need a feeding any time now, but I wanted to get warm before taking her upstairs and begin to breastfeed. Just the mere memory of Olena teaching me the tricks to breastfeeding made me chuckle under my breath.

That had been an ordeal on its own.

I still held Sofya close to me as she played with my nose, her tiny hands seemingly warming my cold face. If it hadn't of been for the grip that I had on her, I might have even dropped her at what met us in the kitchen.

I froze in the doorway staring at the back of an abnormally tall man who was staring down at the windowsill above the kitchen sink. My thumb unconsciously brushed up against my bare ring finger. I'd forgotten to put my ring back on after doing chores earlier that morning.

I'd left it on the windowsill.

I knew whom it was facing away from me without having to acknowledge the duster, nor the shoulder length hair, which had grown longer since the last time I had seen him.

Feeling his mere presence in the room seemed to stop the ever-persistent dull ache inside me. He was what was missing in my life now. I had had everything these past months except for _him_.

I knew that there was no chance this would go a calmly as I had dreamed it would, but I didn't care. It wouldn't take long for him to know that I was here, and not a figment of his imagination.

"You're home," was the only coherent thought that I was able to manage. I held my breath as he turned to face me and I watched as his eyes went wide with shock at seeing us.

"Roza?"

Hearing his voice almost broke me, it took every ounce of my willpower to not to throw myself at him and into his arms. I had to pace him here. I couldn't rush into anything and as he stared at me like he had seen a ghost, I had to remind myself that he probably thought he _was_ seeing ghosts.

"We've been waiting for you, comrade."

It was dead silent for at least a solid minute. Not even Sofya made a sound.

The air around us was thick enough to suffocate someone. No one dared move or blink at the risk of it breaking the spell around us. I could only stare at Dimitri and get lost in his eyes.

The look in his eyes broke something in me. He had heavy bags under his eyes – bags that were dark with both a depression and lack of life. Bright red lines danced in his eyes, lining the beautiful brown and proving that he had experienced countless sleepless nights.

It killed me that I was the one who put that pain there.

"You're dead," he eventually choked out, his eyes still locked solely on mine. "This is a trick," he whispered, raising his hand and pointing his finger at me. "It's just a trick my mind is playing on me."

My heart broke at his words. I had driven him to the brink of insanity by making him believe I was dead. It was cruel and I hated that I did it, but I did it for the life of my daughter…of _our_ daughter. He had to understand that eventually. He had to...

"I'm not dead, Dimitri," I whispered softly, tears beginning to brim in my eyes. I was careful to not make any sudden movements. I didn't want to scare him or god forbid, anger him.

A man on the brink of insanity was unpredictable. He could lash out in any way and at any moment. I was still holding Sofya and there wasn't anything in this world that was going to make me put her in a possible warpath.

But it seemed he didn't need me to move to lash out. All he needed was my voice. I watched in horror as all the shock dissipated from his eyes and soon fill with disgust and resistance following my voice.

"Shut your mouth, child of the devil!" he yelled and I swallowed his words with a brave face, trying not to express how much his words really frightened me.

"Dimitri…" I began, but I didn't get too far before his hard eyes focused on the young girl in my arms.

Without delay, Sofya was terrified by the look in his eyes, the same look that I was only able to withstand because I'd known this would be coming. Sofya had no such preparations though – all she saw was a very scary looking man.

She latched onto my hair with her small hand, yanking it as she scrambled in my arms to escape Dimitri's glare. She screamed as well, and while it wasn't a necessarily _loud_ scream, it hurt a lot seeing as it was directed right into my ear.

Glancing slightly around the room for Kadir, my eyes passed over Yeva whose smug smile had become one of panic. No one had anticipated Dimitri to scare Sofya like that.

I needed to diffuse this situation, but I couldn't do that with Sofya threatening to rip the strands of my hair out.

I placed a hand over her tiny one and softly pried it from my hair. She didn't resist and I quickly handed her into the waiting arms of Kadir beside me. I watched as Dimitri's eyes followed the movements of our daughter, the fire in his eyes softening slightly the more he looked at her. That must be a good sign, right?

Any progress we had made quickly dispelled once again as he locked eyes with Kadir. "You," he gasped, blinking slightly as if he was seeing yet another apparition. Oh boy.

"You were there! You were there when they said she was dead!" he thundered while taking a few loud steps towards Kadir, causing Sofya to shriek once again and this time I wasn't having it.

I could see in the corner of my eye, Kadir move to shield Sofya from Dimitri's wrath and even Olena scurried around the table as an extra line of defence.

"It was the only way, Dimitri," I whispered to him, standing in his direct line, shielding Sofya from him and moving slowly towards him, closing that gap that had once been thousands of miles long.

He practically skidded to a halt, trying to keep his distance from me. He knew that Kadir was alive and very real, but I was still Satan's servant to him - a devil child in his eyes sent here to taunt him. If I didn't get assertive enough though, I wouldn't be able to prove that I was really in front of him.

I began walking towards him, and for every step I took, he took one back. I pushed down the hurt that his rejection stirred inside me, knowing that I deserved it.

His back hit the bench, and panic seized up in his eyes. He didn't want me any closer than I already was, but I wasn't going to stop. Once I was close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body, I carefully brought my palm up to rest again his right cheek, attempting to cradle the growing stubble in an attempt for him to see reason.

He immediately tried to recoil from my touch, most likely expecting my skin to be cold and hard like the devil child he thought I was, but I needed him to know I was the exact opposite. I was warm and loving and I was very much alive and waiting for him.

As my palm connected once more with his skin, I felt a hum through my body. A sigh of happiness fell from my lips.

It took a moment, but soon I could see his expression change as the warmth of my hand seeped through the facial hair and sunk into his skin.

"You were meant to be home months ago. We were waiting."

His eyes softened and his lips parted slightly, but no sound followed out. I could see those eyes that I had missed so much and yet seen every day for the past five months glaze over, water filling them as they slowly spilled over.

He brought his hand up and placed it over my own, sighing deeply and closing his eyes before pushing my hand harder into his cheek.

"It is you," he whispered croakily. "I thought I lost you."

He dropped to his knees in front of me, wrapping his arms strongly around my torso and burying his head in the curves of my cleavage. I didn't delay in returning the gesture, wrapping my arms around his head, and combing my fingers softly through the loose strands, scratching his scalp slightly with my short nails.

"I promised I'd see you soon," I hushed leaning down slightly to kiss the top of his hair.

I felt his body rumble with his silent sobs, his shoulders shaking as he tightened his grip around me. I didn't care that it was getting too tight and I didn't care that he would threaten to crush me. All I cared about was his arms finally being around me. I glanced slightly at Olena and Yeva who looked swayed by the demise of Dimitri's control.

I continued to comb my fingers through his hair until his tears subsided and even then, he didn't let me go. He clutched me like I would disappear if he let go. I had missed the warmth of his body for several months, so I didn't want to let him go any time soon.

My own tears were falling down my cheeks and I could feel my shirt soaking through with his. I didn't care who watched us at that moment, to me; we were the only ones in the room. It was just us in our small bubble of reconciliation.

He eventually heaved himself from his knees, never breaking our eye contact. We both looked like equal messes. My lips twitched and his eyes searched mine as he cupped my cheeks with both of his hands.

"Don't leave again," he whispered, his voice breaking slightly.

"Never," I gasped hurriedly, reaching up on my toes to capture his lips with my own.

There was no time delay like before. As soon as my lips touched his own, he reacted instantly. He pulled me closer with the grip he had on my cheeks and he stole every bit of breath I had.

I had missed him so much and feeling his hot lips against mine was like feeling rain during a drought. I could taste the salt of both of our tears, but neither of us minded. All that mattered was that we were back in each other's arms, and we were going to be okay.

He wasn't rough as he became reacquainted with me, but the brush of his beard and the urgency of his kisses were to die for.

All was quiet until Sofya let out of soft giggle, bringing both Dimitri and me out of our little world and our attention to her smiling face.

I glanced up at Dimitri who was locked on Sofya in Kadir's arms. He looked scared but I could see the longing in his eyes for the child. I untangled my fingers from his hair and leaned out slightly.

"Would you like to meet your daughter, Comrade?"

He dropped his hand from my face but kept an arm latched tightly around my waist. He stared dead ahead as Kadir walked over to us and passed Sofya over into my arms.

In my arms, Sofya stared up at the unknown giant to her, but I could almost see the recognition in her eyes as she stared at Dimitri.

She knew _exactly_ who he was.

"This is Sofya," I introduced, trying to hold back my own tears.

An unrestrained smile appeared on Dimitri's face and Sofya reached out for him, placing a hand on his cheek exactly as I had done before.

* * *

 _So, do you all forgive me? Next chapter is the final Dimitri POV, followed by the Epilogue x_


	26. A Judgement

**_AN:_** _I can't apologise enough for the ridiculously long wait on this chapter! I have obviously not been able to keep to the deadline I set MYSELF. So, I'm sorry this has taken so long to update after I aimed to have this story completed before my holiday began._

 _Even now that I am back home from my trip, I've struggled to get back into the normal routine of my personal life, work and writing – which is why this chapter took a bit longer._

 _OTHER THAN THAT, if I have any readers that are in Paris, London OR Italy, please know that while on my travels, I absolutely fell in love with your cities and everything about them xx_

* * *

 ** _Dimitri._**

Just like that, everything around me fell away.

The only things that existed and mattered to me was the tiny hand on my cheek, and the wide brown eyes boring into my own.

Her eyes possessed so much wonder in them as she held my gaze. She made me feel so happy, and yet so heavyhearted at the same time.

For five months, I had thought this child was dead and that I would never get to meet her. When in reality, she had been in my childhood home while I was merely a few cities over.

Mama's words made a lot more sense to me now.

I had a lot of questions – questions that I was pretty sure I wouldn't like all the answers to. I could only imagine the planning that had gone into getting Roza to Baia without anyone knowing, but I wanted to know what _everyone's_ role had been.

Did any of Roza's family actually return to Istanbul? Or had they all been living under this roof since leaving Chicago?

Seeing Kadir had been almost as much of a shock as seeing Roza had been, but something screamed deep inside me that he was by Roza's side as nothing but a brother. The smile that had been on his face as he had brought Sofya over was only proof that my gut was right.

But my questions weren't my priority at that moment. My priority was my very alive daughter and her mother. My girls. _My_ _family._ I didn't care about anything else other than them.

I placed my much larger hand over the one Sofya still had up against my cheek, before craning my head so I could kiss the inside of her small palm.

Without warning Sofya began to squirm in Roza's arms, forcing her to adjust her grip. My stomach began to sink and a sickening feeling started creeping its way into me. I was a stranger to this child, and even though she was my blood, she didn't know me. Why would she want to be close to me?

It wasn't completly dismissible that Sofya was trying to get away from me. I _had_ just scared her to the point of near tears, so it wouldn't have been completely unbelievable if it were true.

But after watching her squirm for a second longer, I was able to notice that she wasn't angling her body away from mine – but towards it. She had actually been trying to get closer to me. She was still small though and wasn't making much of an impact with her struggling, but Roza was obviously finding it all very funny.

"Okay, okay," she giggled while she fine-tuned a hold on our child. She then turned to give me an expectant look. "I think she wants you to hold her."

Panic seized in me. I'd been around babies before – my sisters had had _three_ between them – but I hadn't been around while they grew up. I would only visit when I was able, and that meant I was extremely inexperienced with children.

Roza's smile only grew when she noticed the panic obviously flashing across my face. I was _petrified_ at the thought of holding my daughter. What if I dropped her?

"She won't bite, Dimitri," Roza laughed again. "How about we all sit and you can have a chance to cuddle with her?"

I nodded wordlessly while staring at Sofya. I wanted that without a doubt. I wanted whatever connection I could have with our baby – despite my worries of dropping her or not being able to bond with her.

My body followed after Roza as she crossed the kitchen. I couldn't stop staring at Sofya as she peered at me from over Roza's shoulder. There was a curious look in her eyes, probably one that I deserved.

But there was something in that curiosity that made me think she knew exactly who I was. She may have only just met me, but children weren't stupid and they could recognise a connection if it was truly there.

As soon as I was seated, Roza transferred Sofya into my arms before taking the seat next to me. But I was faced with a new problem – I didn't know _how_ to hold her.

Without needing me to say anything, Roza adjusted my hands so that they supported Sofya's back and bottom. As soon as her eyes met mine again, it was like I was thrust back to the same oblivion that the brown depths had put me in before.

I held her close to my chest, knowing without a doubt that it would take an army for me to let this precious bundle go. No matter what came at me, I would protect her. Even to the point of death.

Which was something someone else in Sofya's life had already vowed to do…from the moment that she found out she was pregnant.

I winced when Sofya suddenly grabbed a handful of my hair and gave it a curious tug.

Roza laughed. "She seems to be at a stage where she is grabbing everything," she said with a smile.

Seeing her smile with such ease made even me relax. Our daughter was in an exploration stage. I could only imagine the things she had been getting up to around Roza.

I brought my hand up to help pry her fingers from my hair, much like I had seen Roza do earlier. It worked, and her attention was drawn away from ripping out my hair.

Instead, Sofya suddenly became very interested in my bracelet. Her tiny fingers began pulling at the beads until the elastic band keeping them strung snapped back to my skin.

"You should have seen her when she was first born," Kadir sighed with a laugh from the other end of the table. "She's _always_ been a curious baby."

My smile faded quickly and my sorrow returned in a flash. I was instantly reminded of everything that I had missed.

It wasn't me that had been there when Roza had given birth. I hadn't been the one to hold her hand and make sure she pulled through.

I hadn't been there to witness my daughter take her first breath or to hear her cry. I wasn't there when she smiled for the first time or giggled.

And that realisation broke my heart.

Looking briefly around the table, no one else seemed to have noticed Kadir's slip up – they all just continued smiling contently at the infant in my arms as she played with the shungite beads around my wrist.

Roza, on the other hand, noticed how my back went stiff and my smile was replaced with a small frown.

"Dimitri? Are you okay?"

It took a moment for me to be able to form a mental response. Was I okay?

No. I wasn't okay. I understood her reasoning for taking Sofya away, but I couldn't stop myself from thinking of everything I had missed. Mostly because of her choices, but also partly because of my own as well.

Wordlessly, I handed Sofya over to Roza and ignored the worried glance she shot my way. Her mouth gaped confusingly as I stood up and left the table. I caught the others as they exchanged more confused glances, but had already left the kitchen before I could hear them discuss my change in character.

* * *

I wasn't all too sure where I was planning to go once I had escaped the kitchen. There were only so many rooms in this house – and the prospect of going outside was gone due to the snow beginning to fall heavily.

Without realising, I had begun moving towards the staircase that led upstairs. I didn't particularly want to go upstairs, but something inside me pulled me upwards. It was a strange feeling, but after being away for so long, it didn't surprise me that I was feeling particularly nostalgic.

Even despite how long I had been away, I still remembered everything about this house; the blue painted wall that had faded more and more over the years, the soft tinkling of Vika's homemade wind chimes on the back porch, and even the fifth stair that creaked loudly with the right amount of weight placed on it.

I remembered all of it.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the closed door of my bedroom – a room that I hadn't slept or stood in since I was thirteen. Two decades was a long time to go without stepping foot in a singular room.

I held my breath as I twisted the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open. The difference was blinding and the everpresent twisting feeling in my stomach didn't subside.

The small room was so different from how it used to be when I occupied it.

While Mama had never changed the plain white walls, the room seemed brighter than I remembered it being. The wooden furniture also seemed to be the same, from the bed in the corner to the wooden desk up against the room's only window.

What made it brighter was the presence of life. Roza _lived_ in this room, and she had been bringing Sofya up in it as well. Fresh clothes were stacked and folded on the desk, as well as various blankets and bedding.

The room was doubling as a nursery. A crib was placed on the far wall and inside were even more blankets.

I had to brace myself against the crib and force myself not to get angry. This was meant to be a happy moment – my daughter and fiancé were alive! And yet…I was distraught at the same time.

In the midst of my inner turmoil, Roza slipped into the room, softly closing the door behind her. She didn't say anything, and nor did I at first. We just stood in silence and several feet apart, until finally, I cracked.

"I missed out on so much," I mumbled while my hand rubbed over a single piece of the wooden crib. "I didn't get to take you to the markets. I didn't even get to buy anything my daughter needed."

Roza let out a nervous laugh, something she didn't do often. "Most of it is Karo and Sonja's. Only some of the clothes are new, and your mom knitted a lot of it."

For some reason her words made me feel worse than Kadir's had. Once that dam had collapsed in my mind, I was powerless at keeping anything contained.

"How dare you," I whispered, turning slowly to face Roza.

"What?"

"How fucking dare you!" I roared as all that anger finally caught up to me. I thought for a second that I may have scared Roza, or even disgusted her with my tone – but she just stood there, taking it. It was as if she thought or even knew that she deserved every scream.

"You kept me in the dark for five fucking months, Rose! I get why you did it, I do, but why let it drag on for that long? How could you let me think you and Sofya were _dead_ for that long!"

"I know, Dimitri – and I'm so sorry for what I did. I-I wasn't thinking right and that night when I thought I was going into labour. I wasn't going to go through with it – I was going to tell you."

"So why didn't you?" I roared again, my anger spiking.

"Because if I had of actually given birth that night, we wouldn't have had a daughter. Period. She wouldn't have survived just like the Doctor told you – she was too premature. I wasn't thinking of us or how it would affect us. I was thinking of Sofya and how to keep her safe."

A frustrated sigh escaped my lips, and I squeezed my eyes shut while pinching the bridge of my nose. She didn't understand me.

"Everything I did from the moment I found out I was pregnant, was to keep her safe," she implored.

I hadn't realised that she had moved closer then, so the feeling of her thumbs stroking my cheekbones, made me jump. She didn't flinch when my eyes snapped open to glare at her, nor did she back away.

"You should have told me, Rose. I should have a say in what happens to our child."

"I know, but it's too late. We can't go back in time and change it. We have to deal with this as it comes."

"If you hadn't of made that choice for me, we wouldn't _have_ to deal with it!"

"Yes, we would! I'm not the only one who had made shitty decisions lately!"

I attempted to ignore how right she was. Since arriving in America, we had made mistake after mistake – starting with when I allowed her father to get into my head and dictate how our relationship worked.

Perhaps if I had of never done that, she would have never been caught alone and consequently never captured by Nathan. I wasn't sure if anything else would have gone wrong, but my decision had been only the brink of the mistakes we had both made.

But even though her words made sense, I still couldn't get past how she could morally do what she had. She didn't know what could have happened in those five months that she was in Russia and I was back in Chicago.

Anything could have happened and she wouldn't know. But what if I had never returned? What if I hadn't of listened to Tasha and returned home? Would I still be unknown to the living child and fiancée that I had? Would Roza have found some way to contact me? I wasn't sure to be honest. But that didn't calm down the thoughts still racing through my mind.

"What would have happened if I had drowned my sorrows in booze and women? Huh? How would you feel knowing the father of your child was fucking other women while you were here caring for a child that I didn't know was alive?" I growled, letting my emotions begin to dictate what left my mouth. It wasn't a good choice and I knew it, but at this point, I didn't have the energy in me to stop it.

I knew the words were harsh as they left me, but my filter at this point was long gone, and despite my greatest efforts to see her crumble at my words, she stayed calm and only looked back up at me understandingly.

"How could you forgive me?"

"I wouldn't need to, because there wouldn't have been anything to forgive, Dimitri," she replied strongly, unfazed by the dark shadow my body seemed to be casting over her.

" _That's bullshit,_ " I growled while slipping into my Russian tongue. Naturally, my hands flew up and snatched hers away from my face, but I didn't let go of them.

I'd expected her to be confused by my words – she had never understood them before. But it appeared that spending five months with a foul-mouthed Russian grandmother had paid off. She'd understood me…

"It's _not_ bullshit! I could never hold your actions from when you thought I was dead against you. That wouldn't be fair to either of us, but most importantly to you."

I once again replied without thinking.

"You're telling me that you wouldn't think of these hands touching another woman's body like they did your own?" she gulped, "- that you wouldn't think about the screams and moans that would come from someone _other_ than you?"

I stared down at her heatedly. There was an excruciating silence that lingered between us as all we did was stare. If I hadn't of been searching her face for signs of giving into my words, I wouldn't have caught her once again _denying_ what I was saying.

Seeing red that she didn't understand how hurt she should have been, I closed the distance between us and pushed her with my own body back until there was no remaining space between her and the door behind her.

"What if I had decided that it all wasn't worth it anymore, huh? What if-"

She caught onto where I was headed with my rampage before I had even finished. "Because I know what type of man you are, Dimitri," she interrupted, pushing her body against mine.

"No, you don't. You've known me a year out of my thirty-two. You can't say that you know what I would have done."

She scoffed. "I think I can. I've seen what kind of man you are with my own two eyes. I know how honourable you _truly_ are and that you are a man of your word. I also know how strong you are. I wasn't scared of what you would do because I knew you wouldn't give up – you would live on with Sofya and me in your thoughts!"

"What makes this all worth it though, Rose? What fucking convinces me that the torture you put this family through was worth it?" I yelled, pushing her back and even making her cringe in my grasp.

I wouldn't have been shocked if she was afraid of me. My rage had reached a point where I was no longer caring for what I said or what I did. But the only thing more infuriating than her not being afraid of me was that she wasn't responding to me.

"Come on, _Rose_." I let go of her hands grabbed her shoulders pulling her off the door and towards me, my gaze burning into hers while rooting her to where she stood. "Tell me what makes this worth it."

She twisted in my arms, not necessarily fighting to get free. But she still hadn't answered me, and that was the only thing I could think of. I pushed her back, still holding her shoulders until she hit the wood once again.

A small gasp left her as she connected with it and for a moment, we just stared at each other – my face furious, her's of understanding and our chests heaving in unison.

My eyes searched her features and lingered on the bags under her eyes that would have come with caring for a young infant, and the red lashes across the whiteness of her eyes.

She was just as tired as I was.

Before when I had first seen her, all I had been able to see was _her_. I could only see that she was standing there in front of me – I hadn't actually looked at how she had changed in the past months.

Her cheeks were slightly sunken in, instead of their usual healthy plumpness, making her cheekbones and jawline slightly more pronounced than before. She was still exceptionally beautiful, but she had lost a significant amount of weight – and I couldn't figure out why.

There was a frailness to her – which I wasn't sure was the result of caring for a newborn or from carrying the weight of the decisions she had made.

Without realising, the hands that had been grounding her in front of me began to wander. They trailed down her arms before moving to hover over her stomach.

I could feel every curve she had under her dress and suddenly I didn't remember why I was mad at her. Just like before when every thought vanished from my conscious mind and left only Sofya in front of me – nothing matter but holding her gaze.

I don't remember when exactly it was that we began kissing – nor who initiated it.

One second I was assessing the changes to her body since the pregnancy, and the next, I had my lips fused with hers and my hands tangled deep within the tresses of her dark hair.

There was something overly primal about how we moved with one another. Roza had her arms tight around my neck, keeping my mouth pressed firmly against my own, while my hands ensured that our bodies never strayed from each other.

Lips were bitten and nails scratched while the force of me kissing her slammed her back up against the door even harder than before. But the moan that escaped her said that she didn't seem to mind all that much.

It was mere seconds later that our hands were doing more than just ensuring out proximity. While her hands fumbled at the belt at my waist and the buttons of my slacks, mine hiked up her dress and began tugging at her panties until they fell in a puddle at her feet.

As more and more of our clothes disappeared, the hunger that burned for her became insatiable. I needed to take a breather.

I ripped my mouth from hers but wasn't spared a moment before Roza latched herself to my throat.

There was urgency when I re-fused our mouths back together. We were desperate to feel and touch each other and our hands followed the desires we had instead of thinking of or continuing the argument we had previously been lost in.

It was something I had never experienced before honestly. We were so consumed in one another that our minds took the backseat completly and our bodies charged forward – taking what they had been deprived of for several months.

Connection.

It was what we had been missing. Those nights where I had lain in my bed alone and restless, I imagined that Roza was right beside me. Sometimes her limbs would be entangled with my own, and others she would be sound asleep facing away from me.

Either way, it was one of the things that kept me away from insanity.

Neither of us seemed bothered that we were mere puppets to our emotions. All I could think about was how wrong it would have felt to be with anyone else – if I had of tried to drown out the images of Roza with another woman. It wouldn't ever be the same as this.

She had full ownership over me, just like I did over her. That ring still downstairs was only a materialistic brand of something that surged much deeper between us.

Without thinking, I shifted her to that she instead had her back hard against the wall instead of the door. One of her legs wrapped around my waist, while the other flayed out and braced itself against the foot of the bed.

Between my hands holding Roza body up and my assault on her much-missed neck, that didn't leave me with much more movement of the rest of my body. Without needing prompting, Roza reached between us while angling her pelvis forward, and sank herself down.

We moaned in unison – moans so electrifying that it made my cock twitch deep inside her. I lifted my lips from her throat and was greeted instantly by her hot pants in my face, and her voice in my ear urging me on.

"Oh, Roza," I managed to gasp as she put her lips against my ear, whispering my name over and over, like a chant, or a prayer.

After that, everything became regrettably hazy. It was like a blur of rapid thrusts, loud pants and flushed flesh. I couldn't seem to focus on anything, and I knew if I didn't centre myself I was going to miss everything around me.

So I kissed her again. Then I touched her. I found her cheek with my fingers and then her jaw and then the corner of her lips. I had touched Roza many times, but this was different. Once I had relaxed, my thrusts became longer and more languid instead of hasty and rushed.

I didn't want to rush our time together, and I thought it was all working but the unbidden image of Roza in my arms – her head thrown back and her lips parted in a perfect _O_ formation, while her breasts bounced with every thrust, was too consuming. But my official undoing was when I found the bundle of nerves underneath the small patch of dark curls, and felt her tighten around me and scream something entirely unfamiliar and that I could only imagine was as crude as her normal vocabulary.

It wasn't until I felt my own spasms from my orgasm subside, that I finally ceased my assault between her thighs. But I couldn't bring myself to part from her.

We stayed wrapped up in each other embrace, me still fully seated within her and softening slowly as the seconds ticked by.

"I hate you," I eventually choked out into the hollow of her neck. Although, I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince of this. Her or me?

She was silent for a moment, and the silence made my stomach twist and my heart stop beating. I didn't want her to believe me. "No you don't," she hushed breathlessly while still hugging me close.

I didn't realise that I had started crying until I felt her begin to stoke the back of my hair and shush me. I gripped her even tighter, uncaring for if it hurt her – I was too scared she would disappear if I let her go.

She was right. I didn't hate her, but I'd hated what she'd done.

I couldn't hate her. It didn't matter how truly furious I was with her – because I loved her and I loved the child she'd given me. I was angry that she kept me in the dark, but our daughter was safe because of the choice she made.

Our _family_ was safe.

Who knew what would transpire in Chicago while we were gone. Even before I had left, Mason had heard whispers of Galina, the mob's lawyer, attempting to get the murder charges that were placed on Nathan, placed onto Roza instead.

I hadn't thought anything of these rumors at the time. They couldn't prosecute Roza if she was dead. But now that I had her in my arms, I knew the true meaning of those rumours.

All it would take was a convincing argument and a cheap judge to acquit Nathan of Inna's death, and release him from prison. In reality, it should be simple, seeing as he never had been the one to hurt Inna.

But with Roza and our daughter being so far away from him, it didn't matter if he was freed. Roza and Sofya were dead to everyone other than those in Baia. He had nothing left to chase.

In light of this, it didn't mean that I had forgiven Roza for what she had done, but it was a start. I had her in my arms, and our daughter was happy and healthy – that was all I needed.

We had a long road of recovery ahead of us. Trust needed to be reformed and bonds needed to be remade, but I didn't think for a second that we couldn't do it. We needed to live with our mistakes and make the most of every day that was thrown at us.

As long as we were a family, who said we couldn't do such a thing?

* * *

 ** _AN:_** _Epilogue is 90% done!_

 ** _FFT:_** _I was re-reading the Dark Swan books by Richelle on my travels and noticed considerable similarities between King Dorian and Adrian. Did anyone else who has read the series see parallels between these characters?_


	27. Epilogue

**_Six Years Later. Summer, 1932.  
Baia, Russia._**

Rose awoke on her side to light spilling in through the windows. Already in the early hours of the morning, the cozy master bedroom was beginning to soak up the heat from outside and fill the room substantially. Despite the infernal heat, Rose lay basking in the sun while only covered up to her hip in a light bed sheet.

The heat of the Siberian summer was a far cry from the arctic wasteland she had always imagined Dimitri's home being.

When Dimitri had talked about his home to Rose, he told her of snow fights and white Christmas'. What he had apparently eluded to tell her about was how hot the town got during its peak of summer. The heat didn't ever bother her, but a little heads up would have been welcomed.

Rose opened her eyes slowly at first – so that the sun's rays wouldn't blind her – while still partially believing she was in some sort of dreamland. The heat coming in through the windows was enough to trick her sleepy mind into thinking that her husband was right there sleeping beside her.

But the more she awoke, the quicker reality set in for her.

Rose stretched her arm out to the side and twisted the empty sheets around her fingers. She stared longingly at the bare space – letting her imagination run wild and show Dimitri also tangled underneath the sheets.

She imagined him lying there in all his Adonic beauty. The morning sun would always reflect off the toned and chiselled planes of his torso, giving Rose a view that she could spend all day staring at if she didn't have a job to go to or a house to run.

While one would normally find the assortment of tattoos on Dimitri's body shocking or ominous – Rose admired them. It was often that Dimitri would catch her plain and simply staring at the designs like it was the first time she was seeing them again.

She imagined him looking down at her with one arm crooked under his head, giving her his signature lopsided smile that he had been giving her since their first meeting. The memory of his smile was enough to release a melancholic sigh from Rose's lips.

But there wasn't a day that went by when her husband wasn't home that she didn't worry about him. Every time the sun would catch onto the encrusted diamonds on her rings and ricochet light onto the walls, she was reminded of everything she had in her life, and how easily it could be taken away from her.

Dimitri had been lucky enough to organize a schedule with Vadim, the _avtoritet_ of the Bratva that Dimitri was vowed into. Vadim himself was a family man, so he understood the importance of Dimitri keeping his children safe from his _second_ life in Novosibirsk, while also being a strong part of their lives.

Their negotiations had led Dimitri to have a schedule that allowed him one week off for every three weeks he worked. He stayed in Novosibirsk, working consecutively for twenty-one days, before returning to Baia and spending the next seven with his wife and children – who he would do anything for.

 _That_ night was the night he would be returning home. While Rose hadn't managed to get the day off at the clinic that she and Olena worked as nurses at, she knew that her Russian God would be waiting for her when nightfall came.

But for the three weeks that Dimitri would be gone, Rose was stuck in a constant state of anxiety. She prayed that she wouldn't hear an early knock on the home's front door.

They had been through a lot in that past six years. No marriage was perfect, and Rose and Dimitri we no exception to that statement. They fought and argued as all couples do. But no matter what, they always ensured that when Dimitri left Baia there was no lingering animosity between them.

A happy marriage and a healthy family were the couple's main concern. Nothing compared to the blissfully ordinary routine that Rose had fallen into either. Rose had never wanted an _ordinary_ life, but now she exalted in the conventional woes of her days.

There was once a point in her life where she could have danced alongside some of the most talented dancers of the age. She could have made her way all over Europe and had a much different life than the path she ultimately had followed.

But if she had taken that offer to dance at the newly re-opened _Moulin Rouge_ all those years ago, she would have never met Dimitri and never been bestowed with the gifts of her womb.

She had come close to death multiple times and had even gone as far as faking her death to save the lives of herself and her first born. Making the decision to lead everyone she knew to believe she was dead was the hardest choice she had ever made. Still to the present day, only a select few remaining in Chicago knew what had _really_ happened to Rose the night she'd 'died'.

For the five months that she was believed to be dead, she knew that the love of her life was struggling with the notion of her passing. But the pain of Dimitri losing his fiancé and child couldn't be faked – Nathan would have known something wasn't right.

Rose's life had been very fragile at one point, but now she was stronger – she and _Dimitri_ were stronger. She now only had _two_ weaknesses that could destroy her. She knew how fragile life was, and she was determined to keep her family as safe as possible.

One of those fragile parts of her life was cuddled into her arms with his head nestled firmly into her chest. Wistfully, Rose looked down to the mess of thick brown curls that belonged to the sleeping form of her three-year-old son – Vasily.

* * *

 ** _Three Years Prior, 1929.  
Baia Medical Clinic._**

Dimitri paced anxiously in the dreary corridor of the clinic.

He had an insane feeling on déjà vu at that moment. He had done the same pacing in Chicago when he was under the impression that Rose was giving birth. But this, however, was very different.

The labour pains that Rose had experienced were not faked, nor were they of the same intensity. These ones were much worse and scared Dimitri more than her ones in Chicago had.

What distressed Dimitri even further was that he was prohibited from even entering the delivery room as Rose gave birth. Even though most of the nurses feared the mere sight of their patient's husband, they had to follow protocol – they even had to lock the door so he couldn't come barrelling in.

It was only a little comfort that Dimitri's mother was behind those doors as one of those said nurses. She promised her son that Rose's pregnancy had gone so far without complication – both mother and child seemed to be the epitome of health.

The fact that Rose had been doted upon by her husband and his family was a major contributor to there being no complications so far in her second pregnancy.

But unfortunately, it didn't matter how many times Dimitri was reassured of the health of his wife and newest child – he couldn't help but worry about their wellbeing.

He was kept separate and was forced to hear the excruciating sounds of his beloved's labour pains. He could hear her screaming from behind the wall. It took every ounce of control within him to not defy his mother's orders by breaking down a door he knew very well that he could do easily.

After an hour of listening to his wife cry and scream out, it all but stopped – as did his heart.

Everything was silent around him; he couldn't hear anything coming from behind the wall, and nothing from himself.

That was until a cry pierced through the silence and filled Dimitri with so much relief that he felt his knees about to give out beneath him. If it hadn't been for the door opening and his mother's smiling face ushering him forward, he would have collapsed then and there out of relief.

Olena stepped aside from the door and gave Dimitri a view of the greatest sight he would ever see. Just past the door frame, covered in sweat and a thin white sheet laid his wife. Even past the sweat-matted hair on her forehead and her flushed skin, she looked as beautiful as ever.

The pull towards her was immediate and his feet began moving without warning – taking him closer and closer.

"Hey," Rose croaked out hoarsely once he reached her.

"Hey," he breathed back. "Are you okay?"

Rose smiled up at him as a soft giggle escaped her. "Peachy."

Dimitri smiled down at his wife before leaning down to kiss her. He had only been apart from her for a few hours, but it had felt like three times that. He was just happy to see her alive though. The last time he had been in this situation, he had believed her to be dead.

To see her tanned skin flushed with life and her chest heaving with breath was a solace. Her lips were warm and puffy as she kissed him back, soft and languidly. Dimitri could swear he could taste a hint of coppery blood against his tongue, along with her natural vanilla taste. The presence of blood on her lip was only further evidence of her battle. She had been pushing so hard at one point that her teeth had _broken_ the skin of her lower lip.

A tiny sound of air escaping lungs broke through the loving kiss.

For the first time since his mother had opened the door of the delivery room, Dimitri noticed the small bundle of cloth nestled in his wife's arms. He looked down to find a set of brown eyes staring directly up at him. Rose also looked down at the infant in her arms, running the tip of her finger down the infant's nose.

Dimitri had never seen something so small before in his life.

When he had first looked directly into his daughter's eyes three years prior, it had been as if the entire world crumbled to the ground around him and left only them standing. He thought that there would never be anything else in his life that would compare to that feeling.

Nothing other than this of course.

"So, have we got a name for this little boy?" a nurse asked, breaking the moment that Dimitri was in the middle of.

* * *

 ** _Present Day, 1932.  
Belikov Residence, Baia._**

Unconsciously, Rose began threading her fingers through Vasily's unruly mane and pushed the loose curls off of his tanned cheeks.

It always irritated Rose that her son was still scared of having his hair cut. While the shoulder length hair suited her husband to a T, the long hair on her son only proved to be a knotty mess.

At least Sofya's hair had been inherited from her father, which was ten times more manageable than her mother's and younger brother's.

Smiling to herself, Rose hugged her son closer to her. Most nights that Dimitri wasn't home, Vasily would find a way into Rose's empty bed to snuggle up to his mother.

She never complained.

From the front of the house, the sound of a set of keys jostling in the lock travelled down the long hallway and towards the master bedroom's slightly ajar door.

The wooden door opened with a stretched creak before closing softly again.

A loud crash echoed suddenly through the house, making the small boy in Rose's arms jerk awake. However, hearing the sounds of a familiar woman cursing in Russian follow the sudden silence-breaker put Rose back at ease.

"Papa home?" The small boy yawned; craning his neck and looking around the room to see if the loud crash meant his father was finally home.

"Soon baby," Rose cooed, placing a kiss on Vasily's small head. She pulled her son back close to her chest, threading her fingers through his thick brown hair soothingly.

Rose knew that no matter how comfortable she was with Vasily in her arms, she would have to get up soon otherwise she would be late for work. So after a final few moments lying contentedly in her bed, she untangled herself from Vasily and got out of the bed. She wrapped her summer robe around her body before leaning down to pick up her still half asleep son. She balanced him on her hip while he rested his head in the crook of her neck. His arms were like steel traps as they clamped around her neck – but again, she never complained.

She knew that eventually, the day would come that her boy would no longer want to be cradled in his mother's arms. So until that day came, Rose would gladly take every tight hug and every cry for his momma that she could get.

With Vasily on her hip, Rose entered the living space of her home. It had taken hard work for Rose and Dimitri to be able to move out of Dimitri's mother's house. They had wanted a place that they could call their own but still wanted to be close enough that Rose could call on her mother in law for help – especially since Dimitri wasn't around most weeks out of the month.

The modest cottage style house was Rose and Dimitri's pride and joy.

They had panelled the entire house, ensuring they had removed all the existing rotting wood and replaced them with new panels. Many nights had been spent with Rose and Dimitri working on their home alone while Olena housed Sofya. Their home had quickly started morphing back into a livable property, but it still wasn't any place for a small child.

But eventually, the four-bedroom cottage had been re-established into a home fit to house their growing family.

"Morning," Rose sighed happily upon seeing her teenage niece pulling food out of a paper bag and onto the counter.

"Morning!" Zoya replied energetically as she abandoned the groceries and bounded towards Rose. "Give me this _malyutka_ , and go get ready for work," she laughed while stretching her arms out in front of her.

The _'little one'_ , as Zoya often referred to Vasily as, was transferred between the arms of the women with a laugh. At the age of fifteen, Zoya was more than happy to help her aunt with her little cousins.

Considering she spent most of her time in St Petersburg, she was happy to spend time with her cousins whenever she was home.

It seemed that while Rose had left her life of dancing and being on stage behind, Zoya had taken it up.

Zoya trained day in and day out with _The Soviet Ballet_ , hoping one day her skills would be enough to allow her to dance as _Odette_.

Among her talent, Zoya's beauty was something truly to behold. She wasn't too tall, but her height at fifteen was already the same as Karolina's currently. Her long and dark brown hair that was usually pinned neatly back into a low bun at the base of her neck was free and wild this time.

That was how Rose liked to see her niece. When she usually visited the hometown, Zoya kept up her fitness and didn't allow much time to relax. So when she did literally and figuratively 'let her hair down', Rose could see how happy the teenager truly was.

But the dedication Zoya had to the Ballet Company was something Rose admired greatly. Zoya's commitment was something she noticed all the Belikov children and _their_ children possessing. She had passion and drive, and that was what made her such a fantastic dancer.

The training was rigorous and painful – Rose often spotted the bruises Zoya tried to conceal on her knees and feet as a result of the dancing. But there was no way to convince Zoya out of the profession, she loved to dance.

That was something Rose could understand perfectly.

There had once been a time that Rose had never considered a profession outside of dance.

She had lived and breathed it since she was a young girl, and eventually moulded herself into a professional dancer. However, there was no way that she would have been able to continue _that_ kind of dance in Baia. It was controversial enough that Olena Belikova's boy had married such a risqué ex-dancer from America. She didn't need to fuel that fire any further.

So, she joined Olena and trained to be a nurse. As it turned out, the clinic needed the help desperately.

Baia wasn't a big town, but two doctors to the entire population was still a bad ratio. More doctors were what the clinic desired, but most of the town lacked such higher education, so those who were able to train and work as nurses were welcomed with open arms _and_ open minds.

It wasn't long after Rose began working in the clinic and began getting to know the residents that the town seemed to forget about her previously scandalous life.

Rose couldn't stop the pull of her smile while watching her niece eagerly reach for her son. "Are you going to be right with these two today?" Rose queried with an amused smile. "They are normally a handful when they know your uncle is coming home."

"We'll be okay. Won't we?" she grinned, looking down at a waking Vasily. "We're just going to go to _babushka's_ and probably the markets. She wants to cook big for Uncle Dimitri coming home tonight."

"Olena _always_ cooks big, Zoya," Rose laughed before turning to head towards her bathroom.

As she walked the halls, she almost bumped in a very sleepy six-year-old still in her nightie.

"Morning, baby," Rose smiled while planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Zoya is making some breakfast for you and your brother in the kitchen."

"Okay," Sofya sleepily mumbled back while walking blindly towards the room Rose had just left from.

Rose chuckled under her breath knowing full well that as soon as her daughter had some food in her stomach, she would be an entirely different child.

Yep. Sofya was _definitely_ her child.

Rose walked down her hallways and slipped into the bathroom before disrobing and turning the water on high. While she waited the few moments it would take for the water to heat up, she stared at her naked reflection with a sort of nostalgia.

She had always been lean and toned whilst a dancer. But over the past six years and after going through two pregnancies, her abdomen showed the residual effects that those said pregnancies had had on her body. While her stomach was still relatively flat, she had lost the tightness that her body had previously possessed.

She wasn't too bothered by the differences of her body now compared to six years ago, but she always wondered if Dimitri preferred her the way she used to be. She wondered if Dimitri favoured her with her perky breasts and tight waist. But he had never said or done anything to actually warrant her thoughts.

Whenever he arrived home, he always gazed upon her like that first night in Chicago.

Using her fingertips, Rose brushed her hand over her stomach wondering if Dimitri would be happy if they had another child. They already had two perfectly healthy children, but she knew Dimitri secretly wanted a big family.

The problem was that with Dimitri only being home one week out of the month, it left Rose to care for such a young family mainly by herself. It also meant that Dimitri missed many milestones – milestones that he would have to miss again if Rose was to give birth to another child.

But Dimitri had been so happy when she told him she was pregnant with Vasily. He was finally able to enjoy the aspects of her pregnancy that he never had with Sofya. He had been able to be present for his son's birth and Vadim had even given him time off to stay in Baia while Rose recovered.

Surely he would love to experience all that again despite him being away? Right?

By that time, steam had begun filling out the tiled room. Realizing quickly that the water would only be hot for so long, Rose jumped into the steady stream of water and washed away her thoughts on having a third child. It would have to wait until Dimitri got home.

Remerging into the kitchen ten minutes later, showered and dressed for work, both of Rose's children were wide awake, also dressed and eager to visit their grandmother. Not that Rose could blame them. Olena always spoiled all of her grandchildren and _great_ -grandchild to the best of her abilities.

The women walked the children together to their Grandmother's house down the other end of the long road, before Rose branched off into the direction of the clinic.

It was going to be along day knowing that Dimitri would be waiting just on the other side of town for her.

* * *

Dusk was just beginning to settle over the town of Baia, signalling the end to Rose's shift.

Rose's day had been long and surprisingly uneventful. She had spent most of her day cleaning and organising the inventory cupboards. She had straightened out all the empty rooms and changed the bedding. She wasn't sure where her sudden urge to clean had come from, but it wasn't just the clinic that had been falling victim to her impulse to clean. Her home had also been turned upside down in the past few months as she cleaned every inch of it.

But after a twelve-hour shift, her feet hurt and she was starting to get moody. She only had her final rounds to do, and then she could go home. So it wasn't surprising for the other nurses to see Rose racing around the clinic checking charts.

"The hubby home tonight?" one of the other nurses, Oksana, asked Rose with a teasing smile.

Rose didn't look up from her chart at the end of a patient's cot, but she did smile fondly. "Yeah, he should be there now."

The thought of Dimitri waiting for Rose to finish work had been the only thing that got her through those final hours. She normally was able to take his day of arrival off, but with some of the nurses being off sick, she was needed to help cover those absences.

"Does he know?" Oksana asked curiously, making Rose freeze on the spot.

She looked up briefly to meet Oksana's eyes, before quickly looking back down at the charts.

Rose shook her head quickly, avoiding Oksana's disapproving gaze. Rose had kept this secret for two of Dimitri's monthly visits now. After the Chicago catastrophe, Rose and Dimitri had sworn to never keep secrets from each other again. And soon, Rose would have no choice but to spill her guts to him. She had to get it over with.

"I'll tell him this week," Rose mumbled quickly, snapping the folder shut and exiting the room in record speed.

* * *

Rose had to force herself not to run to her mother-in-law's home from the clinic. She had an internal battle with her body to keep her legs at a normal walking pace.

Upon finally arriving at Olena Belikova's home just after dark, Rose was disheartened to not see Dimitri's car parked outside of the gate on the road. Disappointment stabbed at her, and even a smidgen of anxiety. In six years, Dimitri had rarely ever been late. When he _was_ expected to be late, he would write to her or call earlier in the week, letting her know.

But not wanting to dwell on dire thoughts, Rose pushed open the gate and headed for the house. If there was anything that could keep her mind off of Dimitri's arrival, it was the circus that was waiting for her behind the front door.

Even from outside, Rose could hear the playful screams and laughs of children. It seemed that Zoya had made good on her promise to keep her children amused for the duration of the day.

"Roza?" Olena called out from the kitchen upon hearing the front door open and close.

"It's me!" she called back, placing her keys into a small bowl near the front door. She kept a hold of her bag, planning on changing out of her nursing uniform and into something more comfortable. While her nursing uniform was something Dimitri had openly fantasied about bringing into their bedroom antics, Rose refused on the grounds that the uniform she wore to tend to sick patients in, had no business being used in the bedroom.

That didn't stop Dimitri from trying every time he saw her in the white dress and white cap.

It was as Rose was walking down the stairs that the house erupted into nothing but shrieks and cries of young children. Cringing as she felt the nerves inside her eardrums shrivel up, Rose tried to save those few remaining nerves by covering her ears.

"I only have two," she muttered to herself while rushing down the last of the stairs.

"Papa's home! Papa's home!" her children cried out in synchronicity as they scrambled from the window and towards the front door.

Rose knew then that she would be able to catch her children as they tore out of the house. She cursed internally at her daughter being able to reach the doorknobs. Once she had learnt how those worked, nothing stopped Sofya from wandering about the older she got.

Sofya had the door open and was tearing out of the opening before Rose had a chance to see her even do it. What she did catch was the more waddling run of her son chasing after his sister.

Rose followed at a lazy pace but managed to witness the moment the father of her children picked up a sprinting Sofya and swung her around in the air as if she weighed nothing.

Vasily wasn't too far behind Sofya. He latched onto Dimitri's leg and tugged until he gained the attention of his father. Dimitri's smile only became wider as he looked down at his son, and without a second thought; he crouched down and picked up his second child.

With a child balanced on each side of him, Rose had never seen Dimitri looked so attractive. Of course, the sight of his rugged handsomeness was enough to ignite a fire in her stomach, but seeing him connect with their children was enough to make Rose melt into a puddle right there on the path.

Rose listened as Sofya rambled on in Russian to her father, talking in jagged phrases about her first experiences of schooling. She talked about having homework forced onto her by her mother, making Dimitri laugh and Rose frown disapprovingly at her daughter.

Sofya blushed, remembering that while her mother spoke English more often, she also knew Russian almost fluently.

Dimitri and Rose had tried to ensure that their children knew as much English as possible. So while Russian was the most important one to know as they lived there, Rose spoke as much English as possible to the young children to help them adapt to the language.

Chuckling as he walked towards Rose, Dimitri softly chastised his daughter for not wanting to do her homework – telling her it was important for her mother to enforce it.

"I always end up looking like the bad guy," Rose pouted up at Dimitri, getting a grin wider than ever in return.

"Sorry I'm late, milaya. I had to see Iosif on my way through," Dimitri explained, placing a tame kiss his wife's pouting lips.

That caught Rose off guard for a moment.

"Why would you have stopped in Omsk?" she questioned lightly, knowing that Dimitri _stopping_ in Omsk was an abnormality based purely on the level of animosity between Dimitri and Omsk's cell leader – Iosif.

Several years prior, Dimitri had asked for an overhaul of the Omsk cell on the pretences that Iosif was getting old and soft. His men were acting up and not doing their job properly. But when Iosif himself had caught wind of Dimitri's words, he had assumed Dimitri was inciting the overhaul in an attempt to go behind his back to _take_ the cell from him, not help him fix it.

A war of words has transpired, leaving Iosif in Dimitri _and_ Vadim's bad books. Without the help that the Omsk cell required, Iosif had been slowly digging it deeper into the ground.

Because of that, Dimitri would never stop in Omsk. He had to pass through the city to get to Baia when he was travelling home. But he never stopped there. So what could Dimitri have had to do that was so important he stopped in Iosif's city?

Dimitri could see the concern plastered on his wife's face, but this wasn't a time for concern – this was a time for smiles. Dimitri brought his lips to her temple and felt the concern in his wife drain away quickly.

She relaxed into the feeling of his lips upon her and into the smiling faces of her children in his arms.

Nothing felt better than that to her.

* * *

When dinner came around, it was the first time since Dimitri had arrived home that the kids were actually silent. But as always, Sofya made it her mission to sit on her father's knee as she ate.

There was one other thing that irritated Rose about her children whenever their father was home. After three weeks of fighting their mother to eat vegetables and foods good for them, they would suddenly _eat_ said vegetables with nothing more than a steely gaze from their father.

Rose never thought she would see the day that Sofya would eat beetroot. She had turned up her nose to it every time it was put on her plate – not even Olena had managed to get her to eat the vegetable.

But sitting on her father's knee at the dinner table, she glanced up at Dimitri with a quizzical look across her face. All it took was the arching of a single eyebrow from Dimitri and she began to eat the child-sized pieces of beetroot in her soup.

Rose scowled as she half listened to the conversation transpiring at the table, while simultaneously helping her son spoon the _borscht_ into his tiny mouth. It wasn't clear what was more frustrating to her though. Was it Vasily's lack of cooperation or the fact that the dinner conversation was quickly delving to a realm Rose didn't want to think about.

Everyone had heard the rumours of another war brewing. But she attempted to push the thoughts of something as disastrous as the last war out of her mind.

Just the memories of the past war's devastation were enough to make shivers run down her spine.

Noticing the stiffness of his wife next to him, Dimitri brought his hand underneath the table to caress the soft skin of his wife's thigh. He pushed back the material of the dress to expose her skin, receiving a glaring side-eye from her in the process. Then, applying the smallest amount of pressure, his calloused palm caressed her in consistent sweeps.

He saw his actions take an immediate calming effect. Rose's shoulders relaxed and a soft smile appeared on her face as she continued to trick Vasily into accepting spoonfuls of borscht. Dimitri gave her thigh another quick squeeze before smoothing her dress and returning his hand to the table and continuing to eat his own meal.

They found whatever excuse they could after that to touch each other. As they continued to eat and talk, their ankles locked and their thighs brushed together. Then, as the food cleared and the children moved to play, the vodka was brought out to the table.

* * *

It was much later into the evening that Rose noticed her children beginning to fall asleep on the couch along with her twenty-two-year-old nephew's son. At the age of three, Paul's son had bonded easily with Sofya and Vasily. Even then, all three of the children were nestled into one another and slowly dozing off.

It wasn't something that neither Rose nor Dimitri wanted to interrupt. The picture was just to perfect to break.

"You head home," Olena whispered, coming up behind her son and daughter-in-law. "We will make sure they settle in here for the night."

Rose turned abruptly, ready to argue against dropping her children on the older women, but was promptly interrupted before she could utter a single objection.

"The children will be fine here tonight," Yeva snapped, practically _pushing_ her grandson and his wife towards the front door.

"But-" Rose tried to interject, looking past Yeva and to where Sofya and Vasily were. There was no use fighting the old women on the topic though.

"You haven't seen each other in three weeks. Enjoy the only night you will get _alone_ ," Olena added, trying the more gentle approach. "Plus, I think you both have things that need to be said."

Rose's smile faltered for half a second. She should have known that she wouldn't have been able to hide it from Olena. What was she thinking? But then again, what did she mean by the _both_ of them having something to say? Was Dimitri keeping something from her as well?

There was only one way to find out though.

"Come on, _Roza_ ," Dimitri practically purred down into Rose's ear. Receiving a small smile in return.

Rose broke away from Dimitri's hold, moving over to her children to place soft kisses on each of their foreheads – Dimitri quickly following suit – before she allowed her husband to take her home.

* * *

Different articles of clothing were strewn from the front door, down the long hallway and to the master bedroom.

Abandoned at the front door was Dimitri's shirt. Then, only a few steps further into the hallway was Rose's dress.

Following the trail deeper into the house, the discarded clothing became even more intimate.

The ten-minute walk between Olena's house and their own had taken slightly longer than it normally would have. Rose and Dimitri had stopped multiple times to indulge the other in kisses that they had been deprived of over the past three weeks.

By the time Dimitri had managed to get him and his wife into the house, she had already begun making quick work of his clothes. His shirt was already unbuttoned as well as his belt being undone.

Behind the door leading into the master bedroom, Rose lay almost naked underneath her doting husband. It had been a tough three weeks without him, and her dreams of him in that exact position hadn't been helping.

Dimitri's hands roamed over her body, taking his time to reaquaint himself with every inch of her skin. When he was in Novosibirsk, all he had to sate himself was his memories and a picture from her dancing days.

It wasn't a lot and it certainly wasn't as good as the real thing. But it kept him sane.

Shimmying down her body, Dimitri latched himself to one of his favourite parts of Rose's body.

Like a magnet, Dimitri's mouth gravitated towards the dusky peak of one of Rose's breasts.

He licked, sucked and even nipped at the bud until she gasped for air.

Using her feet, Rose began to push Dimitri's unbuttoned slacks off of his hips until they were far enough down his thighs to allow direct access to him. Not allowing Dimitri time to react, Rose snuck her hand beneath the cotton covering him and grasped his erection.

Dimitri had a niggling inside him that was trying to remind him of something. There was something he was supposed to tell Rose, but he couldn't remember for the life of him what it was.

The hand slowly stroking and teasing him played a massive hand in that. With a kind of growl, Dimitri unlatched himself from Rose's breast and tugged his slacks down the remainder of the way, kicking them off once they reached his ankles.

Sitting back so he was on his knees, he looked down at Rose and covered her hand on his cock with his own. After a few collective strong strokes, Dimitri released her hand and crawled up her lower body. He placed kisses that ranged from feather light to hard and open-mouthed over her inner thighs and stomach.

When he eventually looked up at her, Rose couldn't make out where the brown in his eyes began and where his pupil finished. His eyes swirled with a black lust that made her moan.

She felt Dimitri hook his fingers under the final item of clothing keeping her covered from him. He peeled the panties off her body and threw them deeper into the room – neither of them caring where exactly they ended up.

His mouth travelled higher up her body, skimming over her stomach and between the valley of her breasts. Dimitri devoured her skin; tasting her as if it were the first the last time he would ever have access to her.

" _Dimitri_ ," Rose eventually moaned into his ear. She was tired of the teasing. She had felt the tip of his cock slide across her entrance over and over again as he kissed her body, but she wanted him. So badly.

Dimitri chuckled at his wife's impatience. She never was good at sitting still when Dimitri wanted her beneath him. So, as Dimitri was always willing to please his wife, he brought a hand back between them to line himself up with her and pushed himself into his wife's welcoming body.

Rose let out a cry of delight as she felt Dimitri fill her to her capacity. She clawed at his back as he slowly adjusted himself to her. He didn't want to have all this build up to the moment they would finally come together again, only for him to blow it within mere minutes.

He pulled himself out and then inched back in. He made it his personal mission to have her swearing in every language she knew.

Taking his knowledge of Rose's body in stride, he finally slammed back into Rose and set a pace that he knew they both would enjoy. It was slow enough for them to feel every thrust fully, but also hard enough that he had Rose crying out each time he reached the deepest part of her body.

He wished he didn't have only a week of this. He wished that he could fall asleep _every_ night with Rose in his arms. Not just those that his job allowed. He wished he could see his children every night and even play a role in the bedtime routine. There was so much he wished he could do.

"I have something to tell you," Dimitri gasped out, abruptly ceasing his thrusts much to Rose's displeasure.

"Can't it wait?" Rose whimpered back as she rocked herself against Dimitri's body from below. She used the heels of her feet against the backs of his thigh to bring him back down to her.

Suddenly spellbound by her, Dimitri began rocking in sync with her, which only sated his desire slightly.

"No," Dimitri gasped as he came back to himself.

"Are you sure?" Rose breathed, bringing her lips back to his jaw and placing more wet kisses along it.

Dimitri forgot _again_ what news he had to tell his wife. The only thing he could think about was her lips as they travelled down his jaw and to his throat. _God_ , he had missed everything about Rose. He had dreamed for three weeks straight of having his way with her once again, but now that he had her in the palm of his hands, Dimitri couldn't stop that niggle of impending information.

"No!" He responded gruffly, finally shaking himself out of his lust filled haze. The tone of Dimitri's voice shocked Rose. He was never rough with her.

Rose moaned in annoyance as Dimitri sat back on his heels, fully unsheathing himself from her body, and causing Rose to forget entirely about the tone of voice he had used. Dimitri's large hands never strayed from her body as they settled over her thighs on either side of him.

"No," Dimitri whispered in a softer tone this time. He leaned down and cupped her cheeks inside of his hands, kissing the corner of her agape mouth softly before bringing their foreheads together.

 _Just say it_ , the voice inside his head demanded.

"They've given me my own cell again, Roza."

Rose blinked. Then blinked again. She processed Dimitri's words, hearing what they had meant loud and clear. Although, she hadn't wanted to understand their meaning.

Rose slid her body out of Dimitri's grasp and sat at the head of the bed. What could that possibly mean? Would he be gone for even longer lengths of time? Had they decided to move him overseas again? Would her children be cursed with seeing their father even less than they already did?

Dimitri saw the fear and panic transpire in his wife's eyes. He needed to shut that down as quickly as possible.

His reallocation wasn't a bad thing. It was, in fact, a very _good_ thing.

Before she could move too far away, Dimitri straightened himself up and brought Rose back to him. He hugged her tight to his chest. He could see the glossiness of her eyes now. He could see that she was scared.

"I'm not leaving. I'm not going anywhere," he implored, knowing exactly where her fear laid.

"You aren't accepting the cell?" she muttered hopefully.

"I _am_ taking the cell, Roza," Dimitri began, but quickly finished seeing the tell-tale signs of disappointment returning to his wife features. "But the cell is in _Omsk_ ," he breathed happily.

Easily recognizing the city's name, Rose's eyes grew wide and her lips spread into a large smile. "But-but…Omsk is only an hour away from here!"

"Exactly, milaya. I'll be home _every_ night. I'll be right here with you in this bed, holding you in my arms _every night_."

Unable to contain her excitement anymore, Rose launched herself at her husband and sent them both crashing back down onto the mattress and sheets. They rolled around for a moment, each experiencing a moment of pure and unadulterated happiness.

"That's why you stopped on the way home, wasn't it? You had a hand over with Iosif?" Rose said as she hovered over Dimitri.

Dimitri found her lips with his own, kissing her hard and dominantly from below her naked body.

"I've been there all afternoon, Roza."

Rose frowned, realising that he had been closer to her all day than she had thought. But then her sombre feelings were overcome by the true meaning of Dimitri's words.

He would be coming home every night now. He wouldn't be gone for weeks on end and only home for a single week. He would be able to see every moment in his children's lives that he previously gave up in order to keep his family fed and clothed.

Rose's fingers threaded into Dimitri's dark but slightly greying hair, gripping it with need and impatience. Her desire for her husband grew instantly as the weight of what he had said sunk in fully.

It didn't take long before Rose was straddling Dimitri. She reached a hand in-between their bodies to once again grip his standing cock before directing it back to her body.

She didn't allow either of them a moment to compose themselves. She latched onto the flames in Dimitri's eyes and used it to spur on the rolling of her hips.

Over and over again, Rose impaled herself while Dimitri let his hands roam from the bouncing mounds on her chest, to her waist and then finally to rest on her ass as it slapped against the skin of his thighs.

Rose's moans were getting louder and louder, to the point that Dimitri brought her down for a searing kiss used to swallow her cries. His tongue eagerly explored her mouth, dancing with her own passionately.

Rose's fingers tightened again in his hair and her body shook with the electricity of a powerful orgasm. Feeling her explode around him, Dimitri followed dutifully and spilt himself into her waiting womb.

It took several moments for the couple to catch their breaths. They panted breathlessly as their foreheads touched and they held each other tightly.

Dimitri took the serene moment to study his wife. Unlike him, Dimitri didn't think Rose had aged a day. In his own eyes, Rose was even more deliciously curvy and well endowed than she had been in Chicago. He had two kids and six years of marriage to thank for that.

Releasing one arm around her, Dimitri moved to cup his wife's cheek. With the pad of his thumb, he traced her puffy lips that should have been bruised with the roughness they had been indulging in.

"I'm pregnant again, Dimitri," Rose said between pants as she still attempted to catch her breath.

With a smile, Dimitri tightened the arm he had around Rose. Her look of confusion only made him smile more widely. He couldn't contain how happy he was that his wife had _finally_ come clean to him.

"I know, Roza."

Taken back, Rose looked down at Dimitri with shock. "How could you have possibly known that?"

"You forget, my love. You have carried two of my children already and have gone into a sort of nesting mode each time without fail. In case you didn't already notice, you aren't a very tidy person, Roza. But when you are with child, you suddenly can't stop cleaning."

Rose scoffed at his words. "That's bullshit. I do not _nest_. When did I ever _nest_ when I was pregnant with Sofya?" she challenged, raising her eyebrows.

Dimitri only laughed. "You cleaned an apartment that housed three members of the Bratva," he grinned, knowing he had her. "Ivan and Anton weren't the cleanest of men, but you ensured the apartment was clean down to the ashtrays."

Rose pursed her lips, remembering vividly mopping the floors of that apartment until she saw her reflection in the wood. He was right. She _had_ been nesting.

"You aren't mad at me for not telling you straight away?" Rose whispered, attempting to get the part where they fought with each other over and done with.

"No, my Roza. I knew you would tell me once you were ready."

A sigh of relief escaped Rose that made Dimitri chuckle slightly. He could see why she would have been scared to tell him about being pregnant a third time. They had sworn to never keep secrets from one another since Chicago, but sometimes secrets were needed.

Dimitri himself had kept the discussions of taking over the cell in Omsk a secret. He didn't want to get Rose's hopes up of having him so close if it was to fall through. But when Dimitri figured out the knowledge of Rose being pregnant once more, he pushed Vadim further for the position.

He couldn't leave Rose to raise _three_ young children by herself, nor did he want to. He wanted to do the dirty stuff. He wanted to give all he had into his children – but he couldn't do that from Novosibirsk.

Lying there in each other's arms, comforted by the sound of their breathing, Rose and Dimitri were eager for the future. They had survived time and time again, defying even the greatest odds against them and their family.

They knew they weren't the most conventional family, but they were one – and that was all that mattered to them.

There were still many things that they couldn't anticipate. There were dangers ahead that would test their love and dedication even further. But they were determined to not let it overcome them.

There was no way for them to know that in a mere nine years, the very war that Rose had feared, would be right on their doorstep. There was no way for them to know the danger that they were in.

But they would work to keep their family alive and well, no matter who or what threatened them.

 _END._

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Aaaand that's a wrap on 'Convince Me'!_

 _As you could probably tell, I changed the geographical location of Baia slightly to fit this story more. I know that Baia is meant to be a few_ _hours outside of Omsk, but seeing as in this story Baia isn't a secret vampire community, I changed it to only an hour away._

 _But WOW! Two stories in one year! It's hard to believe that I only found and then joined this platform early this year!_

 _So I want to thank each and every one of you all a million times over (both anons and reviewers). I can't express how much your support has meant to me over 2018! Your reviews, follows and favourites made my day time and time again._

 _I can only hope that I continue to better my writing through the New Year and bring you more quality stories._

 _I'm going to be taking a short break over the New Year, but I'll be back in 2019 with the continuation of 'Bad Intentions' (which is now past the introductory phase and getting deeper into the story). While it's a rarer and maybe a more unpopular theme, I'd always wondered what would have happened if Rose had have become Strigoi at the end of Blood Promise. 'Bad Intentions' explores that thought, but with a twist!_

 _As well as 'Bad Intentions', I've also had more work sitting on my laptop that I'm getting ready to publish. Keep an eye out!_

 _I wish you and your families and friends a safe and happy new year!_

 _All my love, B x_


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